If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Hayward: With a stroke of fortune you drop down to your knees to a point you reach Sensei’s height, smiley faced and dumbfounded you’d be let off so easily. A few chores?! That wouldn’t be too much trouble at all. If anything, it’d be a nice change of pace from the burdens several trainers of Fizzy have on their plates. You eagerly accept, the elder solemnly nodding whilst Yuri’s face flushed pink. The little Spinda lunged forward and flailed her stubby paws animatedly, attempting to give a warm hug to the sleepy chimp dazed on your back.

“Then so it is settled”, the man muffles pleasantly, nodding as you jump back to your feet, “If you don’t mind, I will take Medeo to the Temple to replenish his strength. Meet me there when the rising sun meets the Eagle’s crown” With that, the three of you bob your heads skyward, noticing it was still early sunrise. You then jerk back in awe spotting the greatest mountain on the range settled high up in the clouds, crooked slightly at its peak, two hollows either side of the rocky face. Its coiled summit looked uncannily like a beak, its facial structure giving it the appearance of a magnificent bird. Being nestled way in the middle of misty range, you could only guess the kind elder wanted to summon you at midday giving you a good few hours of manual labour. You crack a slight smile, throwing your shoulder bag onto the ground heavy-minded on rallying a top squad of cohorts skilled in lending a hand to others. You finger through the canvas sack, palming three inch sized spheres as Yuri looks on with piqued curiosity. You press each one’s axis, the three conkers budding to the size of apples. You palm the shiny Steel Ball and glittery Love Ball, grinning as you pitch them both a foot forward against the neatly trimmed lawn. Cracking open with a burst of metallic and pinkish radiance, the balls click shut to reveal chubby sumo and a greyish pooch. The former is quick to release a cute yawn as he stretches his stubby arms, plodding about the newfound environment as the wet blades dampened his bare feet. The latter howls zealously sniffing about at the two strangers, pawing at Yuri’s skirt as she scratches the back of the pup’s ear in return. With a hand free you enlarge a standard Poke Ball, bringing the trio to a complete as you spin it forward. Clacking out of the red-white sphere in a spur of light, an orange crustacean scurries sideways whilst clicking his pincers vivaciously. All where more than happy to get some fresh air, and they’d no doubt make your jobs much easier.

“Excellent!” Yuri smiles, itching around to pups collar again as she wags her tail excitedly, “Poochyena and Krabby will be ideal for farm work, perhaps Makuhita will shine under kitchen duty”

“Your enthusiasm brings me a warm feeling Yuri”, the grand master responds, “Whilst you shall be showing this boy the ropes, I feel it is important he and his friends work unassisted. He who depends on himself will attain the greatest happiness.” The elder bows before you both, slowly revolving as he paces back up the well-beaten path. You notice the grainy trail he followed snaking from the village’s centre, creeping outward and upward to a rickety bridge. Shortly beyond the bridge was a circular cliff-face, upon it stood a red-bricked sanctuary, rimmed a brilliant golden which shimmered off of the sun’s rays. Its curvy slate roof was supported by tall pillars, however your eyes could barely make out much detail from the distance. Whilst you squint in awe at the Master’s temple, you feel Keo pinch your knee as Hyneo chased the dandelion seeds bobbing in the breeze, pouncing to no avail. Yuri’s Spinda waddles up to Sumeo, switching to a goofy smile and shaking his mitt.

“If Sensei has summoned you hale-San, you must not be late. Let’s go!” She says, throwing her wicker hat back on and grabbing the baby panda by the hand, “you too Su Lin!” With that you round up your motley troop and begin strolling in tow of the monk whilst keeping a keen eye on the oriental civilisation, spotting a few of the villagers staring on timidly from the corner of your eye. It was obvious enough they weren’t used to visitors in their mountain hideaway, the faint whispers bringing on a glint of paranoia as you can only guess the kind of rumours being passed. This feeling soon passes as you bypass the cluster of oak houses draped with paper flaps and meet the outskirts of the settlement. Yuri grinds to a halt above a small bump in the meadow, coaxing you to jog to her point wondering what you’d find over the hill. The three helpers scamper in tow in an orderly queue, the pooch competitively wriggling past the other two in hopes of getting the first glimpse.

“This is the Mareep farm”, she says waving her hand over the breezy dip, “We must collect their wool for clothes, but they won’t be so keen to give it away”. You gaze across the green prairie in awe, and what looked like yellow balls of cotton candy grazing across it. The pasture was about the size of a football field, chocked full of about thirty or so Mareep aimlessly wondering about. You then notice a pen at the edge of the meadow with about half a dozen empty sacks – your job seemed to be coming to light. The herd of sheep bah lazily as they scuttle about slightly, each in their own world.

“You will need to come up with a way of herding the Mareep into the pen so we can shear their wool. It’s harder than it looks Hale-san, they don’t react to much”, Yuri grins. She then picks up Su Lin and strolls down to the auburn shed below, unbolting a small fence for the livestock to enter through. Whilst the female worker could probably do it all by herself, today was your time to shine and impress the doubtful villagers. What will you do and how will you do it?

Staring at the field of grazing Mareep, Ben thought hard to come up with a plan to get them back to their enclosure. After a moment of contemplation, he smiled. He had come up with an idea he hoped would work. It would require a team effort and a bit of luck, but Ben was confident his team could pull it off. After all, Mareep were simple, ruminant creatures. Hopefully, like most livestock, they would be easy to deceive.

His mind made up, Ben turned to his trio of diminutive Pokemon and quickly began outlining his strategy. “Alright, Hyneo, in just a bit I’m going to need you to Roar as loudly as you can to get the Mareep off and running.”

The Poochyena barked happily and ran in excited circles around Ben’s legs. Seeing his canine companion’s enthusiasm, the boy laughed and reached down to scratch her behind the ears. “Great!”

Moving on to Sumeo, Ben continued. “Okay, mate, here’s where you come in. I want you to take these two doughnuts.” Here Ben briefly fished around inside his brown canvas messenger bag before producing a pair of sprinkle-covered pastries. Reaching out, he placed them into Sumeo’s chubby little mitt. The Guts Pokemon licked his lips, eyeing the doughnuts hungrily.

“They’re not to eat, mate!” Ben replied quickly, smacking his head in exasperation. “We’re going to use them as bait to try to lure the Mareep back to their enclosure!”

Sumeo’s face fell but the boy took no notice, resuming his stratagem where he left off. “I want you to head down into the middle of the field holding the doughnuts high above your head so the Mareep can see them easily. When you get there, use DOUBLE TEAM. Each of your clones will then be holding two doughnuts also. Hopefully, the Mareep aren’t smart enough to figure it out, and we’ll be able to trick them into thinking there are a bunch of you and a bunch of tasty sweets. Then Hyneo will ROAR to get the flock moving -- you’ll already have their attention, so just head towards their corral. They’ll all follow you back. If there are any stragglers, Hyneo and Keo will deal with them. Simple.”

Keo clacked his claws together noisily in assent, while Hyneo let out another cheerful bark. Sumeo was skeptical however. This was not the first time he had been the decoy in one of the boy’s hair-brained schemes. He knew it wouldn’t be that easy and gave Ben a look that said, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Seeing the hesitant expression on his pudgy little partner’s face, the boy nonchalantly remarked, “Oh it won’t be that bad, mate. I bet there’s not one single Pokemon in all the world that’s more gentle or timid than a Mareep.”

Sumeo threw a doubtful look in the direction of the fluffy quadrupeds, grazing peacefully in the nearby pasture, while Ben thought hard to come up with a way to allay the rotund little Makuhita’s worries. After a moment, he snapped his fingers and exclaimed, “I’ve got it! Keo can cover you with MUD SPORT so you should be fine, even if the Mareep decide to use Thundersh-- uh, hahaha, you’ll be fine. Just don’t touch their wool.”

Unconvinced, Sumeo’s topknot wiggled nervously but Ben casually waved him off. “Oh, you’ll be fine, mate. Don’t be such a big baby. Now, let’s get started. We have a lot of chores to do today, and Master Sensei said we have to be done before the sun reaches the Eagle‘s Crown!”

Mewsic: The beautiful white fortress had already set itself apart from the fairy tale garden. The old fables stemming back hundreds of years surely fuelled your ambition, and as your eyes glazed with excitement you can’t help but feel your heart race and your feet pick up. The golden rays of sun wash upon the three of you, a new adventure dawning as you begin making tracks. Ditto squeezes your head as his squishy face tosses from either of your shoulders, Cranidos fidgeting his stubby arms as he sets eyes on a nearby Chatot nest. No time for that my carnivorous comrade! You continue the stroll, to a point minutes pass by as you make your way through a small opening of trees stretching straight to the royal gardens. The worn out path of trimmed grass finally breaks as you’re met by a yellow brick road snaking up a small hill and settling at a few small fields littered with flower beds and brick flags. The tiled ramparts of the washed-out palace, each gold-rimmed window dotted up the towers becoming easier to mark. As you walk through the courts you feel the golden breeze disperse as you reached the Castle’s tall shadow, a large brown door just a beeline ahead. You walk closer, eying up the giant door with a nervous gulp, a heavy yellow doorknob dangling from its oak front. You finger at the handle, lifting it slightly and bustling with anticipation for what would happen next. Suddenly! A slight rustle behind causes your ears to spring up as you twirl about in search of its source. Jurasic barks gruffly, his nose flaring as he pries about the rose bushes with a whiff of the commotion. The flower bed rustles violently, jolting you to the raptor’s side as he bends to the floor set to pounce. “Meep!” The second Jurasic kicks his feet from the ground what appears to be a small flowery Pok&#233;mon scuttles from the bushes in panic! The hedgehog shivers in place, tears streaming down its white cheeks clearly frightened of the dinosaur with its teeth drew bare. Jurasic yaps once more, followed by another whimper from the timid legendary. Its beady eyes shift from side to side as it skittles rearward ever so subtly. With the blink of an eye you spot the Shaymin withdraw into the flowery hedge, swiftly emerging from its crown and clambering up the chains of ivy fastened across the bricked wall. The feisty Jurasic springs forward, missing the hedgehog by about an inch and scraping his stubby claws against the wall of vines to no avail. His arms were too short to scale the hedge, but yours aren’t, what will you do?

Xiaolin Temple

Hayward: With the young girl leaving the herding in your hands, thousands of thoughts begin spiralling around your head as you gaze about the flock of dazed sheep. Yuri seemed to smirk as she perched herself on a bordering tree branch. You’d have to show off your moves if you wanted to clear the bad name you’d so suddenly received from the other villagers. Hyneo and Sumeo make their way onto the wool ranch, each facing you as you volley forward your clever shepherding strategy. With a set of glazed goods you point the chubby wrestler to the unfastened barn, making sure he didn’t scoff the sugary treats and foil your plan. The female pup is then directed to the opposite end of the barn, a fair pace behind the Mareep with a yowl that may just get them moving. With that you run onto the prairie yourself, the lazy yellow livestock baaing to each over without a clue what you where doing. The Makuhita plods a foot from the open pen, stretching out each stubby foot in a sumo stance, flashing the doughnuts rather than pounding his chest. You pry on in curiosity, noticing a few of the nearby sheep whiffing the sweet scent and slowly standing. Sumeo snorts chirpily, a few tranced sheep already stumbling in his direction. To add insult to injury he then focuses on fashioning Double the charm as a Team of three chunky fighters squat against the damp grass. Not much happens, about four or five curious Mareep scamper forward as it becomes clear baked goods weren’t on their menus, the blades of grass still drawing in any hungry cattle. A sweat drop trickles down your forehead as Yuri looks on in doubt, perhaps Hyneo would save the day as you send her a hand signal. Right on queue, the wolf cub wiggles her bum playfully as she hops from cluster of Mareep to cluster of Mareep, releasing a high pitched squeal as she did so. Much to your relief you notice the woolly Pok&#233;mon spring to their feet to each Roar, the pooch taking the role of sheepdog with no problem! Yuri claps her hands as the livestock pile up in their masses to enter the pen, Sumeo doing a top job of keeping them in the barn, just itching to eat the set of doughnuts nestled within his sugary mitts. About twelve or so more follow the five sheep, the once yellow field looking far less cluttered. With just a few more sheep left to herd, you clap encouragingly as the Poochyena sprawls behind a sleeping Mareep with a naughty grin. Mustering up another cute bark, you notice the small pooch whimper off as the sheep howls grumpily in return. Yellow sparks jolt up and down the static fur, a Thunder Shock knocking the pup onto her back in surprise. At this point, you spot a few of the sheep stumbling out of the jam-packed pen much to your angst. Keo claps his pincers together, scooping up a good bit of dirt as he readies to bother the nasty farm Pok&#233;mon. Noticing it wasn’t all sailing smoothly, the girl hops from her branch and jogs to your side, the small Su Lin tightly piggybacked.

“The male Mareep tend to get rowdy when they reach a certain age”, Yuri explains, “Perhaps I should get working on collecting their wool with Keo whilst you settle this one. A few light-hearted knocks should put it in its place”

Treepandaone: Left squeamish and on-edge, you stare vacantly at the brown behemoth that’d just cannibalised his rival in a sort of fierce bug-war. Its feral cry sent a shiver down your spine, its jittery movements causing you to recoil to a point you where a heartbeat from the cliff-edge. Was it worth risking yours and Nimbus’ safety over a capture? All rational had seeped away, this beetle had earned its title as king of the jungle, and its striking verve would make any trainer desperate to capture it. At least a male one pumped with testosterone. You squeeze the Safari Ball harder than ever, your face scrunched with determination as you consider the possible scenarios ahead – very few seemed promising. The babyish cotton-ball suddenly wriggles out of the canopy, his eyes welled up with tears of trauma as he swoops to your side as tactfully as possible. He wraps his stubby white arms around your head, the soothing warmth of his snugly sunny form giving your head the much needed space to think. Items scattered around the small span jutted out above all else: A clove of Nanab Berries, Some brick tiles and a rickety trunk. With Pinsir left with little left to shred you watch as it rowdily kicks up the grassy terrain below and begins shoving the bone-exposed corpse of the disfigured Heracross into the small burrow. You almost wrench, covering your mouth in best efforts to remain unnoticed crouched behind a thin layer of thickets.

This wasn’t the case. With its blinded rage withering and the territorial scrap done and dusted, the Pinsir’s slit-like nostrils begins flaring as it warily paced about the frayed battlefield. Another Heracross dare challenge its throne? This wasn’t the case, as the scent it’d caught was yours! Growling wildly as his horny pincers clacked together, his eyes settled on your not-so-discrete hiding spot. Boy oh boy where you in for some trouble, stuttering the plan to Nimbus as the foe clenched his fist and unfastened his askew jaws. Despite a glint of fear in his beady eyes, the Castform bobs his head and hovers into the Nanab tree where he bites off a clove, settling in a small bush below as he did with Cherubi. With a nerve-racked swallow, the cloudy Pokémon weakly inhales before exhaling a puff of golden fragrance which wafts about the ambiance. The Sweet Scent winded through the bushes, wrapping around the burly warrior as it snuffled in bewilderment. The waft of honey sends the dung beetle’s tummy rumbling coaxing it to wonder en route to the fluffy sun-cloud. The blob of orange snickers to himself as the whiff works its magic, however a sad reality soon begins shaking him as the beetle draws ever nearer. There wasn’t much of a stage 2, Nimbus whimpering in a state of panic as the tranced Pinsir reaches the foot of the stench.

“Kaaiii!” The beetle snaps gruffly, sniffing about for its grub only to find Castform in its place. Whilst the trap went off without a hitch for the under levelled cherry, the underprepared rehash wasn’t going to go down at all. The enemy growls, snapping its horns in frenzy with the scene of Nimbus on its turf with a clove of its fruit in his mitts only adding to his rage. The beast leaps forward, grappling the small cloud in a tight Bind to a point he can barely breathe. Choking and rasping, the blob does his upmost to wriggle free with no way of conjuring a tongue of flame. You cry in protest as your partner’s face switches purple unable to escape the chokehold. *Sock!* With a stroke of luck, Pinsir releases his deathly squeeze by jabbing the poor cloud in the face with a Brick Break, Nimbus lifelessly floundering into a thorn bush but out of harm's way from suffocation. A heated moment passes, and you almost consider the weather Pokémon down for the count. He weakly limps out of the hedge, his body reverted to its natural form and his skin patterned with cuts and bruises. One eye was completely shut, a nasty shiner beginning to shape much to your fret. Whilst scared out of his wits, the gray blob began inhaling as his body steamed with a fiery aura. The dung beetle rumbles, mounding over to the thorn bush ready to add Nimbus to his hit-list. Suddenly! The small cloud expels a carroty spitfire which whizzes forward, breaking into a star-shape as it reached the brazen brute. The Blast of Fire blanketed the brown beetle, causing him to screech as his endoskeleton scalded with throbbing blisters. It was just enough to fend the foe off as the black and blue blob waddled to your side. The heat soon settles, the slightly charred crawler reddening with rage as he snorted and charged. Meanwhile, in light of the hazardous status your Pokenav was buzzing and beeping wildly, its LCD display pretty much giving you the go-ahead to do whatever you liked. Nimbus looked as though he could barely take another hit, what will you do?

His body convulsing as he witnessed the events that unfolded, the circle of life brought wrath, destruction and pain, but Matthew wasn’t concerned about the Heracross. While it seemed natural, Matthew had been left on edge, squeamishly shuddering a single pain shooting up his spine as he stared vacantly at the behemoth in front of him, the bug completing a cannibalistic attack on its rival bug over the territory it had established. As a feral cry reached Matthew’s ears, he found himself once more shuddering, although often hearing the roars of his rocky Rhydon, Matthew had never heard the cry of the Pinsir, its jittery movements and brutish looks causing a moment of recoil for Matthew as he scrambled backwards, the cliff edge just a heartbeat away. At a loss for words as he gawked at the Pinsir, Matthew’s mind asked him the same rhetorical questions that they usually did, the main being ‘Is it worth risking mine and Nimbus’ safety over a capture?’ As he found himself making a decision straight away, Matthew’s normal feeling to rush into situations with his heart burning with passion overtaking his body as he felt all feeling of rationality speed away. Keeping his eyes dead on the newly crowned King of the Jungle, Matthew looked at the striking verve on the particular bug Pokémon as he thought about the many trainers desperate to capture one, him being one of them. As he saw the testosterone pumped Pinsir, Matthew’s grip held tighter on the camouflage-like safari ball as his faced became scrunched with determination, considering the possible scenarios ahead, but as he did so, he found very few a decent prospect, the ideas seemingly less promising.

With the babyish cotton-ball Pokémon wriggling out of the canopy to his right, Matthew put on a slight smile, a fake one, to strengthen his moral as his very fibre was shook to the core, his essence shocked out of his wits. As Matthew noticed the tears of trauma beginning to swell on his Pokémon’s face, he hit his head quietly, shaking out any doubt as his master once told him, the visual head coining in his mind once more. ’If you are afraid, your Pokémon will be afraid. If you are strong, your Pokémon will be stronger’ . Looking back to his flying cloud, Matthew opened his arms as he signaled for a hug, watching the Castform tactfully swoop to his side. As Nimbus wrapped its stubby arms round his head, Matthew felt the much needed warmth of his snugly sun forms heat, giving him the space to think. After a few seconds, Matthew spotted key ingredients of items scattered around the small span; the clove of Nanab berries hung true from a branch, the brick tiles and rickety trunk scattered along the cliff-edge. With Pinsir toiling in its own self immortality, Matthew saw the bug rowdily kick up the grassy terrain before scrambling to stuff the disfigured and bone-exposed corpse of the Heracross into the self-made burrow. As he felt himself hold back a wretch, Matthew covered his mouth in a best effort to cover himself, just in case he was sick, still keeping his position behind the thin layer of tickets.

This wasn’t the case however, as Matthew’s eyes drew him back to the Pinsir as it began to writher with toil and with the territorial scrap done and dusted, Matthew noted the unusual behavior, the Pinsir’s slit-like nostrils flaring up once again as it warily paced the battlefield. As Matthew sat, he wondered if another Heracross had wanted to fight the pumped king-bug, his Safari Ball sitting in his hand becoming a chance that grew more and more so. As it seemed not, Matthew struggled as the Pinsir’s eyes drew to his position as he looked at the wind current, it flowing down towards the bug as he gasped in surprise. Realizing that it was his scent the Pinsir had caught, Matthew looked at the horny pincers clacking together, its eyes settling on his not-so-discrete hiding spot. Gulping, hard, Matthew found himself in all sorts of trouble, stuttering the plan as quickly as he could as the Pinsir clenched its fists and unfastened its askew jaws. Despite the fear in his eyes, Nimbus set about the plan as its head bobbed, hovering into the Nanab tree, his teeth clenching together, setting a small bush below as he did with the Cherubi earlier. Following his Pokémon with a nerve-racked swallow, Matthew and the cloudy Pokémon exhaled, Nimbus’ releasing a much sweeter fragrance into the air as it wafted through the ambiance. Looking on with desperation, Matthew was relieved to see the waft of honey sending the warrior beetles stomach rumbling as it coaxed him to wonder to the location of the sun blob. Matthew saw a snicker appear on the Castform’s face before it soon dawned on them both about the second part of his plan. In his haste, Matthew had forgotten to rely on the trip-wire set to use a grass knot to trap the Pinsir. Cursing to himself, Matthew could do naught but watch as the Pisir traced the scent back to the wimpering Castform.

“Kaaiii!”

The beetled snapped an angry reply, sniffing around for its grub only to find the Castform in its place. Shaking his head, Matthew sought that the plan would go as well is it did with the cherry Pokémon, the unhitched plan only being foiled by a simple Bellsprout in its wake, however, this rehash wasn’t looking good for the beginner trainer. As he heard the enemy growl, Matthew’s face looked towards Nimbus as it snapped its horns, ranging from the new Pokémon being on its patch with its batch. As the beast leapt forward, Matthew stood up, looking as the bug grappled Castform with a tight bind, the relatively small Pokémon unable to wriggle free as its breathe left him in a huff, choking and rasping to find a tongue of flame lacking. Crying in protest to distract the bug and get it to release Castform from the death hold, Matthew saw Castforms face switch to purple as he struggled to get free. As his carefree attitude became an uptight one in less than 1 second. With a stroke of luck, Matthew saw Pinsir release the deathly squeeze by jabbing the cloud with a brick break. Thanks to the relatively squishy nature of the Castform, Matthew thought the damage might have been lessened, still reeling from the damage already took. As Nimbus lifelessly floundered into the thorn bush, out of harm’s way, Matthew thought it was down for the count, or even worse. Shuddering, Matthew pushed the thought from his mind as he saw the sun-cloud weakly limp from the hedge, his body reverting back to its natural form, its skin patterned with cuts and bruises. Gasping at the injuries, Matthew shuddered at the Castforms eyes, one being completely shut, Matthew’s assumption going to form a nasty shiner when it cleaned up. Still fretting, Matthew saw the Castform scared out of its wits as its body steamed with a fiery aura. With the dung beetle rumbling and mounding over to the thorn bush to add Nimbus to its hit-list, the fire blast expelled from the cloud’s mouth in a carroty spitfire, whizzing forward and breaking its star shape, blanketing the beetle in a fire attack. As the endoskeleton of the Pinsir became scalded with blisters, Matthew ran one hand through his hair as he saw Nimbus’ state couldn’t stand another attack. Noticing the LCD display on the Pokénav telling him to do whatever he liked.

“Nimbus, surround him in a Fire Spin and then recuperate some health with a Softboiled. When the fire spin is dying down, launch another Fire Blast to get it. If it does down, I’ll throw this Sarafi Ball at it” He shouted, noticing the wounds from the battle with Heracross and the Fire Blast before. “We can spend more time getting back health after, I promise”

Mewsic: The beautiful white fortress had already set itself apart from the fairy tale garden. The old fables stemming back hundreds of years surely fuelled your ambition, and as your eyes glazed with excitement you can’t help but feel your heart race and your feet pick up. The golden rays of sun wash upon the three of you, a new adventure dawning as you begin making tracks. Ditto squeezes your head as his squishy face tosses from either of your shoulders, Cranidos fidgeting his stubby arms as he sets eyes on a nearby Chatot nest. No time for that my carnivorous comrade! You continue the stroll, to a point minutes pass by as you make your way through a small opening of trees stretching straight to the royal gardens. The worn out path of trimmed grass finally breaks as you’re met by a yellow brick road snaking up a small hill and settling at a few small fields littered with flower beds and brick flags. The tiled ramparts of the washed-out palace, each gold-rimmed window dotted up the towers becoming easier to mark. As you walk through the courts you feel the golden breeze disperse as you reached the Castle’s tall shadow, a large brown door just a beeline ahead. You walk closer, eying up the giant door with a nervous gulp, a heavy yellow doorknob dangling from its oak front. You finger at the handle, lifting it slightly and bustling with anticipation for what would happen next. Suddenly! A slight rustle behind causes your ears to spring up as you twirl about in search of its source. Jurasic barks gruffly, his nose flaring as he pries about the rose bushes with a whiff of the commotion. The flower bed rustles violently, jolting you to the raptor’s side as he bends to the floor set to pounce. “Meep!” The second Jurasic kicks his feet from the ground what appears to be a small flowery Pokémon scuttles from the bushes in panic! The hedgehog shivers in place, tears streaming down its white cheeks clearly frightened of the dinosaur with its teeth drew bare. Jurasic yaps once more, followed by another whimper from the timid legendary. Its beady eyes shift from side to side as it skittles rearward ever so subtly. With the blink of an eye you spot the Shaymin withdraw into the flowery hedge, swiftly emerging from its crown and clambering up the chains of ivy fastened across the bricked wall. The feisty Jurasic springs forward, missing the hedgehog by about an inch and scraping his stubby claws against the wall of vines to no avail. His arms were too short to scale the hedge, but yours aren’t, what will you do?

"Jurasic, back off!" Tim scolded as the small hedgehog pokemon whimpered in fear. Jurasic begrudgingly obeyed Tim's commands as the young trainer slowly approached the rare pokemon, gazing at it as it hung to the ivy. "I've never seen a cutie like you before..." Tim said quietly to Shaymin as he pulled his pokedex out to learn more about the pokemon. "Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokemon. Shaymin live in flower patches and avoid detection by curling up to look like a flowering plant. It can dissolve toxins in the air to instantly transform ruined land into a lush field of flowers. The flowers all over Shaymin's body burst into bloom if it is lovingly hugged and senses gratitude." the Dex said in the standard computer voice. Tim looked back to the Shaymin in delight, "Wow! You're a pretty amazing cutie!" Tim slowly stuck his hand out to show the Shaymin he meant no harm. "I wonder what you could be doing here..." Tim said out loud, but not really to anyone.

Pikagod:My Bad >> Also, I've changed the way Natural Gift is carried out in adventures - it converts the move into any attack of my choice depending on the environment

You rebuttal with a triple threat of counter attacks to claim victory over your doppelganger. There was no way of knowing what evil-Karmas was capable of, but if you could put a thorn in his plans then maybe more could be learned about the Silver Wing. The monotone Sunflower was growling viciously, clearly in no mindset to give up despite the noticeable chinks in his armour. The match would continue on even terms, and only one Karmas could win! Right off the bat, the bad shrub wriggles forward with his maw gaped open. A sudden spray of golden aroma wafts from the Sunflora’s mouth, puffing across the silvery tomb settling with a honey-like scent and downing Sunny with a relaxed vibe. Your comrade stops dead in his tracks, attempting to form a kazoo out of the blades of grass in his mitts but far too unsettled amidst the sweet aroma. The evil trainer grins.

Following up, you coax Sunny into using Nature Power, taking the dark and gloomy environment as inspiration for a Dark Pulse! The black wave of energy bursts from the Sunflora’s body, knocking back the evil counterpart for decent damage. The scuffs are noticeable at this point – his black leaves chipped on the edges and his slender stem coloured with multiple bruises. The shadow menace is completely set back, flinching in fear causing its next attack to go amiss. Failing at that, the shadow type growls in frustration, to envelop in a shadow aura which crackled with pitch-black bolts of lightning. Beginning his advance, evil-Sunny rams into good-sunny for massive damage! The friendly Sunflower flails against the wall taking the biggest blow of the battle. However, an attack with such power was bound with a flip side, chipping away a substantial amount of the shadow shrub’s health to a point it was wallowing in pain. Sunny hops back to his feet, tripping the enemy with a Grass Knot for minor damage – it looked as though the match was almost at an end.

“You may have one up on me – but don’t think I won’t go out with a bang! Full power Shadow End!”

Right off the bat Evil Sunny jumps forward, his mouth wide open. A spray of golden aroma shot out of his mouth and wafted across the room, finally settling down on Sunny and making the good twin feel relaxed. Sunny tried to retaliate with his own attack, but Evil Sunny's Sweet Scent distracted him too much to perform a Grasswhistle. Not willing to let that deter him, Sunny continued and used Nature Power, drawing on the gloomy environment around him. Sunny threw his arms out and a Dark Pulse formed, the pulse slamming into Evil Sunny causing decent damage to the black Sunflora's body, which was already evident. Evil Sunny flinched at the attack that had been used against him, and was unable to perform his attack, much like Sunny beforehand. Growling at Sunny, a shadowy aura started to envelop the evil twin, before he charged into Sunny. The good twin let out a loud cry of pain as Evil Sunny collided with him and sent him into the wall, but the Shadow End had negative consequences on Evil Sunny as well, chipping away a large amount of his health. Quickly getting back onto his feet, Sunny glowed green before using Grass Knot, the vines bursting out of the ground and tripping his evil twin. Karmas took a look at Sunny's opponent and saw that he looked like he didn't have much fight left in him.

“You may have one up on me – but don’t think I won’t go out with a bang! Full power Shadow End!”

"Don't worry Sunny," said Karmas, "Try to distract him with a Sweet Scent, and if that doesn't work use Grass Knot to trip him up and finish off with a Nature Power!"

As Sunny turned towards his twin, Karmas hoped that his plan would work.

Hayward: With the young girl leaving the herding in your hands, thousands of thoughts begin spiralling around your head as you gaze about the flock of dazed sheep. Yuri seemed to smirk as she perched herself on a bordering tree branch. You’d have to show off your moves if you wanted to clear the bad name you’d so suddenly received from the other villagers. Hyneo and Sumeo make their way onto the wool ranch, each facing you as you volley forward your clever shepherding strategy. With a set of glazed goods you point the chubby wrestler to the unfastened barn, making sure he didn’t scoff the sugary treats and foil your plan. The female pup is then directed to the opposite end of the barn, a fair pace behind the Mareep with a yowl that may just get them moving. With that you run onto the prairie yourself, the lazy yellow livestock baaing to each over without a clue what you where doing. The Makuhita plods a foot from the open pen, stretching out each stubby foot in a sumo stance, flashing the doughnuts rather than pounding his chest. You pry on in curiosity, noticing a few of the nearby sheep whiffing the sweet scent and slowly standing. Sumeo snorts chirpily, a few tranced sheep already stumbling in his direction. To add insult to injury he then focuses on fashioning Double the charm as a Team of three chunky fighters squat against the damp grass. Not much happens, about four or five curious Mareep scamper forward as it becomes clear baked goods weren’t on their menus, the blades of grass still drawing in any hungry cattle. A sweat drop trickles down your forehead as Yuri looks on in doubt, perhaps Hyneo would save the day as you send her a hand signal. Right on queue, the wolf cub wiggles her bum playfully as she hops from cluster of Mareep to cluster of Mareep, releasing a high pitched squeal as she did so. Much to your relief you notice the woolly Pokémon spring to their feet to each Roar, the pooch taking the role of sheepdog with no problem! Yuri claps her hands as the livestock pile up in their masses to enter the pen, Sumeo doing a top job of keeping them in the barn, just itching to eat the set of doughnuts nestled within his sugary mitts. About twelve or so more follow the five sheep, the once yellow field looking far less cluttered. With just a few more sheep left to herd, you clap encouragingly as the Poochyena sprawls behind a sleeping Mareep with a naughty grin. Mustering up another cute bark, you notice the small pooch whimper off as the sheep howls grumpily in return. Yellow sparks jolt up and down the static fur, a Thunder Shock knocking the pup onto her back in surprise. At this point, you spot a few of the sheep stumbling out of the jam-packed pen much to your angst. Keo claps his pincers together, scooping up a good bit of dirt as he readies to bother the nasty farm Pokémon. Noticing it wasn’t all sailing smoothly, the girl hops from her branch and jogs to your side, the small Su Lin tightly piggybacked.

“The male Mareep tend to get rowdy when they reach a certain age”, Yuri explains, “Perhaps I should get working on collecting their wool with Keo whilst you settle this one. A few light-hearted knocks should put it in its place”

“The male Mareep tend to get rowdy when they reach a certain age,” Yuri explained matter-of-factly. “Perhaps I should get working on collecting their wool with Keo whilst you settle this one. A few light-hearted knocks should put it in its place.”

Ben turned to the monochromatic wolfpup at his side, an inquisitive look on his face. “Well, what d’you say to that, girl? Are you up for some friendly sparring?”

Hyneo let out a cheerful bark and ran around Ben’s legs in excited circles, the Ruby Pendant dangling from her neck glinting in the sunlight. “Brilliant,” the boy replied, seeing his canine companion’s enthusiasm. “Let’s show that macho Mareep just how feisty we can be!”

Preparing for battle, the diminutive Poochyena composed herself almost instantly, fixing the rambunctious sheep with a determined stare as Ben outlined his strategy. “Turn on your sinister charm and try to allure him with a FATAL ATTRACTION. Once he’s fallen head-over-heels for you, give him a false sense of ASSURANCE about your affections, then break his lovesick heart with a DARK PULSE!”

Treep: A thick blanket of angst downs on both you and your cloudy comrade, the wrestle ahead convincing you that you’d bitten off more than you could dream of chewing. The ruthless Stag had suffered a few blows from its Rhinoceros counterpart, but it seemed as though every dint against his glossy brown endoskeleton only fuelled his mad passion to destroy anything he could get his pincers between. Nimbus was giving it his all, but amidst the fiery flares and hasty manoeuvres he was far outmatched by the king of bugs... But against all odds, you where going to see this through. The more prowesses the bug displayed, the tighter you’d squeeze that Safari Ball in your mitts. Nimbus nods weakly as you volley another round of attacks, his shape more reminiscing of a deflated beach ball at this point. Snorting irately as he snapped together the spiked horns, the Pinsir began rallying forward to finish what he’d started. Not on Nimbus’ watch! The weather Pokémon swoops past the Stag Beatle, a small tongue of flame streaming in his wake. Not slowing down just yet, the greyish blob spirals around his feral foe, the stream of Fire growing until the Pinsir was completely caged! The brave little Castform Spins to the pinnacle of the ginger cyclone, revelling with buoyancy as the enraged enemy barked in twinge. Whilst the creepy crawly was spellbound by the inferno, Nimbus used another chunk of energy to produce a lustrous orb of oval energy which flickered its way to the centre of the tarnished patch. Nimbus leaps in its direction, licking his lips as he munches through the Soft Boiled egg in one fell swoop! A few of the bruises faded slightly, a half-a-dozen cuts up his body patching together giving a much needed boost in hp. Suddenly! A sturdy silhouette leaps from the pit of flames, partially combust as it locked Nimbus in a Vice Grip before either of you could react. The frightened blob manages to spit a mild cinder from his maw, fresh out of fire energy for the unforeseeable future. However it looked as though the Fire Spin was doing its job just fine, Pinsir had suffered a huge levee of damage and most of its flipside had caught fire. Whatever you’d like do now you’d have to act fast, the brazen beetle looks just about ready to snap Nimbus’s neck!

Garden of Iris

Mewsic: Having reached a blooming courtyard just a stones throw away from the grand entryway, you find yourself completely taken back by one of the Castle’s critters. Much to your hard luck, the sooner you’d spotted the flowery hedgehog the sooner it was making a break for it. You scald the unruly rex whose rowdy actions were partially to blame for striking fear into the elusive legendaries’ eye. It scuttles about half way up the flowery lattice, barely noticeable amidst all the vinery and its budding pink flowers. You outstretch an arm as a sign of peace, the hedgehog clinging to the ivy and peeping downward with its curiosity piqued. However the magical moment is cut short again as the Shaymin merges back into the flowery barricade and continues to scuttle higher and higher. Your eyes remain fixated, pacing backward slightly so you can see the cute little rodent wriggle up the patches of brickwork toward the tallest of the dozen or so towers. The pudgy white Pokémon becomes harder and harder to see, to a point you have to squint to make out the pinkish Gracedia sprouting from its neck. Shaymin finally reaches a small window, shyly hopping into the open pane into the highest room of the tallest tower. It was a shame to see your encounter made so brief, but looking ahead you notice the fine, oak door had crept wide open. Had somebody let you in? It wasn’t exactly polite to just barge straight in, but as you met the lofty door’s frame, you could already see a great deal of the hall’s interior. The floors where patterned a beautiful marble white, its walls sporting the same marvellous sheen. A few painting patterned the walls: fruit bowls, flower beds, and the like. Just a foot ahead was a long carpet threaded a regal scarlet, stretching all the way down the empty hall and snaking its way up a flight of stairs... You wait a few moments, pacing up and down the outer doormat to no avail, whoever had let you in clearly wasn’t around. What will you do?

Moonlight Shrine

Food Guy: The chips were down for your evil self, and against all odds he’s determined to go out with a bang. On your side of the range, it looked as though all the cards where in your favour, and even with a hard-hitting force of shadow it looked as though the chipper Sunflower could just as easily bounce back. These thoughts rattle through your mind, however there’s little else to do now but cheer on your comrade as the orders are sent and both grass types spring into action. Sunny is first up, wafting a thick stream of pink fragrance across the pitch and filling it with a Sweet Scent. The enemy grimaces at first, but as the sugary aroma snakes its way to the shadow foe, he can’t help feeling taken back by a whiff. The once feral flora suddenly settles into an unruffled state, the heartless trainer slurring at the evil-Sunny for slipping up so easily. With a streak of confidence, the chirpy sunflower continues his cheery rampage, a few blades of Grass weaving forward before ensnarling the shadow Sunny, tugging on his stem and tripping him up once more. The Pokémon yelps, this time more embarrassed than hurt. “Get up!” his trainer spits, the evil Sunny weakly stumbling to his feet and enveloping in a Shadowy aura as he had done several times before. He gallops forward, guns-a-blazing in all hopes to End things for the golden grass-type. Sunny hastily whips up a force of Nature taking the Power of a dark attack. The too forces collide, the shadowed doppelganger leaping into the Dark Pulse causing an explosion of black smoke enveloping the entire cavern in dust. The smoke soon dies down, leaving one Sunflora standing whilst the other lay unconscious... Level-Up for Sunny!

“No fair!” Karmas yells, aiming a Shadow Ball at the comatose Sunny which is quickly sucked up by its purplish ray, “You’ll pay for this”. Zoran rumbles in light of the threat, the boy’s Zoran scowling in return. You feel as though another scrap was about to kick off as the two of you circle the dreary crypt, far too timid to ask what the hell was going on. You find yourself settled a few paces ahead of the inky black pool. The doppelganger cracks a half smile, his pale complexion only heightening your heartbeat leaving you completely on edge. “Razor Leaf”, he whispers, your own Shiftry raising his arms in a defensive stance. However, as evil-Zoran flicks his wrists, the cut-throat shuriken don’t hit a single one of you. The dagger-like leaves instead rip across the cobbled flooring, causing the frayed bits rubble to rip loose from the frail clay cracks. The ledge you where so barely parked on breaks apart from the rest before you could barely flinch, plopping into the mystical black pool with you on board! You flail your arms in panic, your last glimpse ahead being the pale-faced teen cracking a wicked smile. *Splash!* You wince as you body is completely drenched in the liquid substance, kicking your legs wildly whilst clinging onto what could only be a terrified Sunny who wraps his leaves around your waist. The black marsh begins swirling as though somebody had pulled a plughole, mixing with streaks of purple and blue to a point it looked like a swirling black hole. Your partnered Shiftry had managed to ricochet off the falling debris without dropping into the pool of illusion, but with arms and head out of sight his face dropped to a distinct glint of fear. Willing to risk his own life to save yours, the wicked Pokemon lunges off the ledge, diving into the whirling vortex with no idea of what awaited. You suddenly feel your limbs freeze up, unable to swim as you drop lifelessly beneath. You desperately squint upward as the dim light from the partially lit tomb hastily fades to a pitch-black chasm. An ominous current continued to tug, bubbles seeping from your mouth and nose as the world around you disappeared from existence and you faded out of consciousness...

Visions rattle through your mind, a world of flashes racing past causing you a great deal of pain. You’re unable to keep up with the wild premonitions, your body tumbling blindly through a dark furrow at a velocity you couldn’t gauge. A trippy sensation overcomes you as you go under again, unable to remain conscious for little more than a few seconds... The heavens above rumble, kick-starting your senses as you weakly open your eyes. Dull clouds where stretching across the night’s sky, a flash of lightning jolting you to your feet. The pitter-patter of heavy rainfall began to sound, bouncing off of the large leaves of the upper canopy whilst they slowly trickled down to the mucky undergrowth. Zoran hops to a branch just a pace ahead, a small sunflower curled up in his arms. He growls gruffly, as if to suggest you should start making tracks... Where had the mystical pool sent you? The humid ambiance brought back recent memories of Lyanazia’s Lost Jungles. You look forward in Zoran’s direction, a long dark opening stretching further than your eyes could see at this time of night. The soaring branches of the Tainted Forest set themselves affront of the full moon, the silhouettes of the twisted twigs give the impression of being crooked claws. A faint gush of trickling water tickled your senses, to your left was a five-foot cliff drop to Typhus flow. Peeking over the small slump, a canoe strapped around a tree captures your eye, swaying gently on the streams current... What will you do?

Xiaolin Monastery

Hayward: With a nasty ball of cotton putting a thorn in your side, it seemed you’d have to show him whose boss before he followed the herd. Hyneo bounces forward with a gruff growl, her dark fur slightly ruffled from the jolt of electricity. The grumpy sheep struts forward waywardly, bowing his head as though cocked to charge with a hostile bah. With that, you outline a counterattack to put the adolescent rebel back into his place and get along merrily with your chores. The small pup yelps enthusiastically, jumping up against your legs and slobbering her tongue on whatever hand you had free. Hopping back down, she scuttles forward a few paces, noticing through her monotone vision the huddle of Mareep escaping from the pen with their thick wool jackets unshaven. This piques her motivation, causing a cloud of dark energies to rattle through her seamlessly playful mind – her sinister instincts taking charge as she planned to woo the opposing sex. Hyneo ignores the signs of a snappy sheep and instead toddles forward to greet. The second her head reaches the electric-types butt, she gives an inquisitive sniff, causing the foe to “bah!” in both confusion and embarrassment. This doesn’t stop the pooch, which begins rubbing up the side of the Mareep promiscuously, causing his knees to tremble and his bluish cheeks to blush. The Attractive canine walks ahead as though uninterested, wagging her tail, then keeping it stiff like a Delcatty in heat! Behind the scenes, several tongues of wicked energy where tying across the poor sheep’s heart, causing a great deal of Fatal twinge which he was too lovesick to notice. To rub salt in the wound, she whelps flirtatiously for some added Assurance, gripping the adolescent sheep to usher forward. The two regain contact, the Dark-Type puppy waiting for just the right moment... The pup snaps heatedly as her aficionado attempts his mount, dropping her chops as a spitfire of Darkish blobs hurtle forward. The Pulses smack Mareep across the cheek, causing him to stumble backwards into another startled lamb which tersely discharges a Thunder Shock. The testosterone-charged sheep grinds to a halt, no doubt knocked down a few pegs after his cocky outburst. Yuri in the meantime looks on from the barn, cracking a smile and waving enthusiastically. “Imaginative approach, Hale-San! We shall have the wool in no time!” It looked as though Hyneo wouldn’t face any trouble in the final leg of herding, perhaps you could help Yuri in the meantime. What will you do?

Treep: A thick blanket of angst downs on both you and your cloudy comrade, the wrestle ahead convincing you that you’d bitten off more than you could dream of chewing. The ruthless Stag had suffered a few blows from its Rhinoceros counterpart, but it seemed as though every dint against his glossy brown endoskeleton only fuelled his mad passion to destroy anything he could get his pincers between. Nimbus was giving it his all, but amidst the fiery flares and hasty manoeuvres he was far outmatched by the king of bugs... But against all odds, you where going to see this through. The more prowesses the bug displayed, the tighter you’d squeeze that Safari Ball in your mitts. Nimbus nods weakly as you volley another round of attacks, his shape more reminiscing of a deflated beach ball at this point. Snorting irately as he snapped together the spiked horns, the Pinsir began rallying forward to finish what he’d started. Not on Nimbus’ watch! The weather Pok&#233;mon swoops past the Stag Beatle, a small tongue of flame streaming in his wake. Not slowing down just yet, the greyish blob spirals around his feral foe, the stream of Fire growing until the Pinsir was completely caged! The brave little Castform Spins to the pinnacle of the ginger cyclone, revelling with buoyancy as the enraged enemy barked in twinge. Whilst the creepy crawly was spellbound by the inferno, Nimbus used another chunk of energy to produce a lustrous orb of oval energy which flickered its way to the centre of the tarnished patch. Nimbus leaps in its direction, licking his lips as he munches through the Soft Boiled egg in one fell swoop! A few of the bruises faded slightly, a half-a-dozen cuts up his body patching together giving a much needed boost in hp. Suddenly! A sturdy silhouette leaps from the pit of flames, partially combust as it locked Nimbus in a Vice Grip before either of you could react. The frightened blob manages to spit a mild cinder from his maw, fresh out of fire energy for the unforeseeable future. However it looked as though the Fire Spin was doing its job just fine, Pinsir had suffered a huge levee of damage and most of its flipside had caught fire. Whatever you’d like do now you’d have to act fast, the brazen beetle looks just about ready to snap Nimbus’s neck!

Wracked with nerves and doubt, Matthew began setting about his duties to capture the bug-typed Pok&#233;mon as he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, despite never having the world at risk during it. Having never before dealt with such a threat that would cause an end to a life, Matthew felt assured in his partner’s ability, because if he didn’t, he’d have tried to get out of there a long time ago.

Figuring the road ahead would be long and dangerous, Matthew shuddered as he watched the two Pok&#233;mon throw down, not realizing before now he might have been biting off more than he could chew as he looked at the monumental task ahead. Taking a closer look to the Pinsir, Matthew noticed it had took few blows compared to its rhinoceros beetle counterpart, coining the moves of reversal and critical brick break were nothing in comparison for the brazen bug in its fighting prime. With the sun shining so brightly; pulling the weather-changing Pok&#233;mon into a fire frenzy, Matthew spotted every dint in the Pinsir’s armour, shining brightly against the sheen of the brown exoskeleton, the battle-hardy Pinsir fueled with a passion to destroy everything in its grasp.

In his view, Nimbus made him proud as he gave it his all as Matthew felt disheartened, his hasty maneuvers of firey flames begun to be out-matched by the king of bugs. Giving a relative smile and a thumbs up, Matthew saw Nimbus’ resolve to go on, the naturally hyper and playfull Castform having a nack for battling as he prayed for his safety to the God Arceus. As he stood against all odds, Matthew relished in the chance to see his Nimbus mature, if only it was a less critical battle, but a resolve poured into his system as he felt the urge to go all the way and see it through.

As the Pinsir showed more and more of its power, the tighter and tighter Matthew squeezed his safari ball. Gulping at the sight of the injured Castform, Matthew volleyed another load of orders at him as he held two fingers together for luck, seeing his companion and friend looking like a deflated beach ball hurt Matthew far more than words ever could, feeling every blow that the Pinsir threw as his heart broke more and more. As another sickening sound of two Pinsirs clacking together combined with an irate snort, Matthew could only watch with hope as the aggressive bug looked to complete what he’d started. With hope and prayers combined, Nimbus caught a break as he began to find resolve in his actions, swooping past the Pinsir with a tongue of fire streaming behind him. Clutching his first tight around the Safari battle in his possession, Matthew began to find confidence as Nimbus began to speed up and create a spiraling cyclone of fire in its wake, caging the Pinsir in its naturally weak element as Nimbus carried on spinning with the fire behind him as it enjoyed its natural buoyancy. Still unfinished in its task, Nimbus carried on spiraling around the feral foe as it barked from inside its cage with a twinge.

Whilst his enemy became spellbound in the raging inferno trap, Nimbus began using another chunk of energy to produce a lustrous orb, Matthew beginning to feel invigorated as the Castforms chance of health regeneration became a possibility. As the oval flickered in front of the cloud, one fell swoop was all it took for the finger-licking treat to work its magic as Nimbus’ health began to get back to normal, bruises fading slightly and cuts patching together in a well needed break.

Before Matthew could react and alert the cloud, Matthew noticed a sturdy silhouette burst from the flames, partially combust as it locked his foe in a Vice Grip as Matthew let out a slight squeal for the concern of his Pok&#233;mon. As the frightened blob tried its best to conjure up another flame to scorch freedom out, Matthew could only hit himself for forgetting the limited type-energy for the un-flamed Pok&#233;mon, as a mild cinder burst from Nimbus’ mouth. With the consolation of the fire spin doing major damage, Matthew spotted the back of the Pinsir was on fire, thinking of the natural elements and combing the two to create extra damage.

Turning to Nimbus, he saw the fragile neck trapped in the grip of the pinsir, deciding it would be over for Nimbus if he was to run out of energy, Matthew checked his pokedex for naturally learnt moves. Moving the mental images out of his mind, Matthew shuddered as he spoke his commands;

“Ok Nimbus, we need to use some moves that would naturally come to you. Use a Water Pulse to get the Pinsir to really sting; the fire on his back should be even more painfull when connecting with any water at all. While he's reeling, see if you can get out of his grasp and use an Ice Beam. With that being another natural move, you should have enough energy to pull it off, and with the Pinsir already being wet, it should freeze him easily. If he's frozen, take a nice Rest.

Hayward: With a nasty ball of cotton putting a thorn in your side, it seemed you’d have to show him whose boss before he followed the herd. Hyneo bounces forward with a gruff growl, her dark fur slightly ruffled from the jolt of electricity. The grumpy sheep struts forward waywardly, bowing his head as though cocked to charge with a hostile bah. With that, you outline a counterattack to put the adolescent rebel back into his place and get along merrily with your chores. The small pup yelps enthusiastically, jumping up against your legs and slobbering her tongue on whatever hand you had free. Hopping back down, she scuttles forward a few paces, noticing through her monotone vision the huddle of Mareep escaping from the pen with their thick wool jackets unshaven. This piques her motivation, causing a cloud of dark energies to rattle through her seamlessly playful mind – her sinister instincts taking charge as she planned to woo the opposing sex. Hyneo ignores the signs of a snappy sheep and instead toddles forward to greet. The second her head reaches the electric-types butt, she gives an inquisitive sniff, causing the foe to “bah!” in both confusion and embarrassment. This doesn’t stop the pooch, which begins rubbing up the side of the Mareep promiscuously, causing his knees to tremble and his bluish cheeks to blush. The Attractive canine walks ahead as though uninterested, wagging her tail, then keeping it stiff like a Delcatty in heat! Behind the scenes, several tongues of wicked energy where tying across the poor sheep’s heart, causing a great deal of Fatal twinge which he was too lovesick to notice. To rub salt in the wound, she whelps flirtatiously for some added Assurance, gripping the adolescent sheep to usher forward. The two regain contact, the Dark-Type puppy waiting for just the right moment... The pup snaps heatedly as her aficionado attempts his mount, dropping her chops as a spitfire of Darkish blobs hurtle forward. The Pulses smack Mareep across the cheek, causing him to stumble backwards into another startled lamb which tersely discharges a Thunder Shock. The testosterone-charged sheep grinds to a halt, no doubt knocked down a few pegs after his cocky outburst. Yuri in the meantime looks on from the barn, cracking a smile and waving enthusiastically. “Imaginative approach, Hale-San! We shall have the wool in no time!” It looked as though Hyneo wouldn’t face any trouble in the final leg of herding, perhaps you could help Yuri in the meantime. What will you do?

“Brilliant work, girl!” Ben praised the tiny wolf pup, reaching down to gently scratch her between the ears. “You played the part of deceptive temptress to perfection!” Hyneo let out a happy bark, while Keo and Sumeo sweatdropped, recalling the macho Mareep’s pesky behavior only a few moments before. Both found the sheep’s conduct to be lewd and discourteous.

Near the barn, Yuri waved excitedly, a slight smile on her face as she cried out, “Imaginative approach, Hale-San! We shall have the wool in no time!”

Ben returned the girl’s smile and wave with a grin and nod of his own, exclaiming, “We’re on our way!”

Turning quickly to Hyneo, the boy remarked, “Looks like our work is just about done her, girl. I’m going to leave you to finish up now. If any of the other Mareep start acting up, I think a Roar should be enough to send them scurrying back to their pen.” The Bite Pokemon let out another cheerful yip and Ben thanked her for her help before addressing Keo and Sumeo.

“You two come with me,” he instructed, motioning towards the barn and setting off at a trot. “Yuri could use our help with the wool. I’m not sure exactly what she wants us to do, so we’ll have to be ready to lend a hand in any way we can, but I have a strong feeling she may want us to help with the shearing next. So Keo,” Ben nodded at the little river crab, frantically scuttling to keep pace with its trainer, before continuing, “With those claws of yours, I think you're best suited for the job. I know you’ll make a fine barber.”

Noisily clacking his pincers together, Keo smiled proudly. A bit of a show-off, he liked compliments. He knew this would be a great chance to impress his comrades.

As they neared the barn, Ben finished explaining Keo’s task. “If it is shearing Yuri needs us to help with, then it would probably best if you clipped the Mareep's wool first with Cut, trimmed it down with Fury Cutter next, and ended with X-Scissor for some flash and style.”

Arc Angel: You take a few small paces back, eying up the stunning piece as you unroll your sleeves. You’d been pushed to your limits and each harsh obstacle another sending you closer to the edge. The desolation the elderly gypsy had thrown you under was beginning to way up, the notions of paranoia echoing about your subconscious chiselling at every thread of endurance and you were just about to crack. Not this time, no siree you were stronger than that, or so you told yourself. With a determined grin you bind your palms against the triangular overhang wedged very tightly north. As each finger settles on the aurous ridge, you feel a slight tingling pulse from your finger tips down to your body. It was time. You lean rearward, shifting all of your weight to the back as you hope to trigger some movement. Still rigid as ever, you squash one foot onto the dial’s plane, towing if all your strength as you bite your lip in concentration. Huffing and puffing as you scramble into different positions tugging with all your might, the dust quickly settles and you realise it wasn’t going to budge under your doing. Spiritomb swirls over your shoulder like a nerve-jangling breeze, a few green balls spewing from his essence and mantling across the dial’s handle. Whilst strong enough to leash a skilful toad with no trouble at all, the dark spews of purple failed to do much either. You both untwine from the tangled embrace, at a loss for the manpower, even with Jericho’s ego.

You pause for a second, wondering if the shimmering face was even supposed to be shunted or if there was more too it. You where just about done with mind games, so you fiddle with your varied repertoire of balls fastened to your attire, plucking a tasty looking capture device which looked like a chocolate bonbon. You raise the Malteaser an inch above your waist, thumbing it to the size of a spherical Easter Egg as it gave off a sweet whiff. Not in the ideal space to pitch it forward, you balance the Chocolate Ball atop of your open palms as it cracks open by itself. An explosion of auburn light colours the golden walls for a split second, the spur of sweet radiance soon dimming to showcase a stubby little bear cub which yawns cutely as it stretches its fluffy limbs. She suddenly leaps to your arms in fear, weakly opening her beady eyes only to find the two of you completely walking on air. As she grips against your body like a Koala Bear, you take little time to plop her on the primordial clockface with another task at hand. It was time for the teddy to show the boys a real show of strength, much to their humiliation. Maddie paces up and down the dial, coming to a stop at the overhang and walking back round. She stared at the abstract illustrations like they were pictures in a story book, her ears prickled to your instructions as she went along. The grizzly flexes her muscles slightly, rolling her flowery bangle back as her claws drew bare from her otherwise cute mitts. She then places the two paws on the face of the extension, her nose flared and brow scrunched as she began shifting her weight forward. You watch in wonder as the clock began to move, a low bellow echoing across the insane dimension as the slabs of gold scraped against each over. Slowly but surely the dial’s finger budged clockwise, the small teddy gritting and snorting as she rammed her whole body forward.

After a good five minutes turned into a show of Strength, the cub finally howls at the impressive feat with overhang now facing a good deal south. The victory jig is short-lived however, as the raincloud illustration flickers a glowing Navy, the creaky hollow of thunder sounding although this time you can’t be sure if it’s a mind trick or not. The Sun Dial begins glowing a blinding yellow as you, the bear and the frog suddenly feel your feet pick up beneath you. You flail your arms about wondering what the hell is going on, the shiny tunics and patterned walls fading to black as you drift upward and onward in the dark abyss. Suddenly! You wince as a queasy feeling takes charge, the world around you spinning drastically as a deafening drone you could only compare to a steam train shooting past. You lost sight of Maddie, Jericho and Reaper – even the two followers had broke out of your mitts as you feel yourself thrust through the universe in less than a few seconds

*Thud!*

*Patter*

*Patter*

An unknown amount of time passes, and you wearily open your eyes, the heavy droplets of rain patting against your muddy face. You clamber to your feet, wiping the wet streaks of hair from your face as days events come into realisation. Something felt different about your surroundings, the crooked trees honing a feral disposition and the quick downpour leaving little wildlife unhidden. It isn’t long before a messy Koffing pushes its way through a thick of muddy undergrowth, cussing at the state of his garments yet you couldn’t be happier to see a familiar face. You pace about the cluster of large shrubs, turning every leaf you come across in search of the remaining four. A sudden glimmer of purple and green catches your eye, as you and Jericho weakly dash to a cliff edge where Reaper’s Keystone was barely settled. Palming the snoozing spectre you check the landscape for signs of your remaining comrades. The drop in terrain scoped across the entire horizon, watching as a few Wingull flew across the ravine only hoping the baby chimp and bear cub hadn’t warped too close to the fifty-foot drop. Suddenly you notice an uprooted log begin rumbling wildly. A set of goldy brown feet pop from the log’s midpoint, the legged cylinder now stumbling dizzily as a set of arms ripped free. The clawed paws then slash frantically at the rest of the log, Maddie’s face panning into view amidst the chippings of lumber flying about. That was your own three down, but where were the others? You continue to chase through the dark jungle’s edge, calling desperately for the infant you’d swore to protect – heck, even Croagunk’s face wouldn’t be too bad at this point. Spending a few minutes blindly shaking through the thick shrubbery you suddenly feel another presence – an unsettling vibe running through your limbs before you even made eye contact.

“You!” a mysterious voice rasps, “You must the one they call ‘Arc Angel’” You suddenly flip to your rear in panic, noticing a group of about a dozen or so cloaked figures with their faces shadowed out. The head of the group, the man calling your attention by your rarely given pseudonym seemed slightly taller than the henchmen, a curved wooden staff held in his grasp tipped a deep scarlet. His other arm was outstretched and patting- Croagunk!? Why that dirty double-crosser! I guess nothing less could be expected from the shifty amphibian, but that didn’t stop Reaper from bursting out of the keystone with each of his personalities feeling a distinct sensation of rage.

“You’ve played your part well, none of us would be here without you”, the man said in a snarky tone, his voice far too powerful to be taken lightly, “But now my fair angel, you must be put to rest. Kill them! Kill them all!”

With that, the henchmen began jeering passionately, and as they did so the man banged his staff against the floor causing it to pulse with a scarlet aura. Summoning two shadowy wisps which snaked across the ground, the staff flashed brightly as the circular shadows ripped through the clammy terra. With a double dose of vicious screams, a Dusclops and a Muk emerged from the shadows with a puff of black smoke. They looked different, both with a streak of monotone colouring and an ominous aura that’d you become somewhat familiar with and grown to fear. Whilst up for another struggle, you’re in no position to even order as the bandaged mummy wiggles his fingers and Disables you from moving an inch. With your arms dead and jaw locked, the two shadow monsters take their pick of your troop as the obscure figures look on with upmost pride. Muk is first to attack, slugging forward and hocking up a slew of Gunk which flings forward and bullets against the shiny sack. You’d never seen the move carried out with such power, the purple Shot cleaving across Jericho for a clean KO. You feel yourself screaming inside as the Cyclops waddles its way to the scared stiff teddy. The dull bandages draped across its body begin to unravel as they travel toward Maddie, wrapping her up and wringing her out with a merciless Bind. The bear splutters and chokes as her mug colours blue, the Beckon Pokémon keeping to its word as the clench became a strangle. The heartless fiend cackled as the summoned shadows made quick work of your companions, the heady spell still proving effective as you could barely blink. Suddenly!

“Your reign of terror stops right here, Dim Sun!” A womanly voice announces, causing your heart to race with the notion there may still be hope. The thick canopy of trees suddenly give way, a girl with long blonde locks trailing in all directions softy hung in the sky with her arms widespread as a flurry of wind kept her airborne. She elegantly flicks her wrists and the wind disperses, the magical heroine dropping a few feet before you and the foe. She sweeps her hair behind her back and hastily switches into a battle stance.

“You will pay for destroying my beautiful garden, Syrian! Giratina is on his way” she blurts. Right on queue, a magnificent reindeer-like creature swoops from Iris’ trail, sporting a dazzling white coat with a few lime stripes. The lengendary growls cockily as it gallops circles around the trees before reaching the Shadow Dusclops. You notice the few dead thickets it’d rushed across burst in a colourful bloom of flowers, The Beckon Pokémon grumbling in nausea as he untangled his bandages from the unconscious teddy. The two shadow beasts corner Shaymin, each forming a Shadow Ball with the sight alone causing the sky warrior to cower back into its land form. Syrian and Croagunk snort, the dark master lowering his hood courteously giving you a clear glimpse of his face. He looked like a demon: his iris coloured red and his grinned teeth pointed like fangs. Several scars showed on his pale face, and scarlet veins glowing up his skin giving him the look of a dark sorcerer of unearthly proportions.

“Beautiful Iris, if Giratina is on his way then my plan is sailing smoothly”, he replies calmly, signalling his minions to finish Shaymin. You gulp within your paralysed body, almost as though the two had completely forgotten about you. Iris bites her lip in concentration, stone-faced as she eyed the trembling hedgehog which looked back desperately. Suddenly! The goddess waves an arm in your direction causing your body to spasm back to movement, your first reaction to check up on Maddie and Jericho who where both out cold but still breathing – Reaper was tactfully by your side and Aipom was still nowhere to be found. The man raises his staff in anger, but Iris is quick enough to wave her other arm causing the two Shadow Minions to disperse into nothingness. She runs to your side with a look of terror on her face. Grasping your hands she gently pushes you backward,

I want to thank you for the beautifully written update and appologise about the delay in my reply.
I can only hope my reply does it justice ^-^

Maddie stood upon the elegant weather dial peering down at the nothingness below and felt her stomach roll. That was not right! Her trainer had asked her to move the dial to the rain cloud picture and she assumed that the young woman had been unable to do so herself, especially considering she would need her Strength to do so. She caught Jericho’s glum look and guessed that he wasn’t all too pleased about being up staged by a small teddybear and Reaper was looking as solemn and serious as always his purple form encasing the neck of a Croagunk oddly. In her trainers arms was a small baby Aipom wrapped in her white shirt and she wondered when she acquired that Pokemon. Concentrating on the task at hand and after walking up and down the dial assessing its integrity she dug her feet into the bottom and grasped the pointer and began to exert all her strength in attempting to move it. She grunted as the gold pointer slowly began to shift and scrape against the dial as Jericho rolled his eyes not impressed what-so-ever. Maddie grinned at her small amount of success and kept applying the pressure in small jolts moving the pointer slowly but surely. Stacey kept her eyes on her bear should the pointer suddenly shift quickly and she lose her balance off the dial but after a good few minutes Maddie let loose her grip from the pointer and bounced happily despite her aching arms.

Stacey beamed and was about to praise her for her success when she noticed the embossed image turn a dark navy as the echoing sounds of thunder filled the air making Stacey stare skyward frowning deeply. Was this another mind trick?

’Please don’t tell me she’s still around and messing with me, I couldn’t take it’ she mentally prayed as a golden glow before her tore her out of her thoughts. Looking at the dial a now brilliant gold she shielded her eyes before she gasped as she felt the flooring give way. Looking down she thought for a moment that she was about to plunge to her death when she noticed that she was rising not falling, and so was Maddie and Croagunk, Reaper floating up higher to meet him. Jericho was observing all this with amusement wondering what would happen next. His eyes widened in shock matching those of his panicking trainer as she shot into the air along with the others and he sped upwards trying to keep up. Stacey had lost sight of all her Pokemon, including Croagunk and Aipom who had somehow disappeared from her arms. All she saw darkness as the world slipped away replaced by a loud droning and intense pressure inside her head. Oh God it felt like her skull was being crushed and soon everything faded as she blacked out.
A new sound filled her ears, it was the sound of light pattering, it was all around and it was disturbing her sleep. Groaning at the remnants of a headache starting to come back into focus she felt a constant tapping on her skin and she was forced to open her eyes. Her vision was hazy and so far all she could make out was the wet mud on the ground, the same mud that was slowly covering her face. Finding strength in her arms she shifted and hoisted herself off the ground moving into a sitting position using the thick heavy rainfall to cleanse her face as best as possible. Running a hand through her now wet shoulder length hair moving a few errant strands from her face she saw that she was back in the forest … and it was raining. Wait! Did that mean that the weather dial worked? There certainly didn’t seem to be any trace of fire around her but as the bushes around her shuffled she leapt to her knees in the best defensive stance she could manage. A grumbling preceded the Pokemon that emerged from the undergrowth and Stacey had never been so glad to see her bag of noxious gas until now.

“What the HELL was all that about? Point me in the direction of the assclown that threw us through that trippy portal and I’ll kick his *** all over this forest. Have you seen what’s become of my waistcoat? It’s DIRTY, it’ll take forever to get these stains out and I swear one of my Jericho rhinestones has come loose. Its …” Stacey interrupted his ranting by pulling him into a hug and sighing happily as Jericho blinked with confusion.

“Well babes, I knew you wanted me really, I’m a ball of sex here and hey you got some of the mud off my waistcoat you have uses after all.” Stacey looked down to her tan tank top that was darker with the rain and smeared with mud.

“Its good to see you Jericho,” she said ignoring his lewd and snarky comments,” come on we’ve got to find the others” she finished as she rose to her feet. Jericho smartly followed her and assisted her in searching for the others. She pushed aside bushes sometimes getting scratches across her pale skin from the thorns there and searched around trees but was beginning to get concerned. Suddenly pushing through a bush she saw a glow of lilac and walking through saw Reaper’s keystone balanced precariously on a cliffs edge. Rushing forward a little hastily almost forgetting her own safety she crouched down at the cliffs edge and grabbed onto Reaper sighing with relief that he was safe, if sleeping. Stacey looked up and was in awe at the scene before it, it was simply gorgeous the horizon seemed to expand forever, the cliff seemed to overlook the majority of the jungle and the sun was beginning to set in the sky. A couple of Wingull flew by diving down over the trees and Stacey got caught up in the majesty of it. She was glad that it was now safe but her mind returned to her team, she had found two of her own now she hoped that Maddie, Aipom and Croagunk had been dropped off the cliff. Suddenly she heard a rumbling behind her and turned to see a broken tree trunk rolling back and forth. Peering at it curiously she saw the wood splinter as a pair of brown feet popped out before finding the ground. A pair of arms with a familiar bracer ripped and the arms slashed furiously at the remainder of the log wildly glaring at shreddings panting as she calmed down anger written on her face. She kicked a piece of wood and heard a chuckle behind her to see Jericho smirking at her and Stacey smiling warmly happy to have all her Pokemon with her. She couldn’t stop her search now, even though ditching Croagunk was a relief she still needed to find Aipom. Looking along the cliffs edge, walking precariously she continued to hunt for the 2 missing Pokemon.

As she continued around the jungles perimeter she suddenly felt a cold chill run down the length of her spine … something wasn’t right here. As a deep dark voice spoke behind her she whirled around clutching Reaper close to her chest glaring at him. Jericho and Maddie moved before their trainer sensing the same thing, something was off with this man and it made their skin crawl.

“You must the one they call ‘Arc Angel’” the mysterious man said. Stacey felt immediate panic as he knew her alter ego, her other name, the one her parallel self used. There were about a dozen other surrounding this stranger all dressed in thick cloaks, their hoods shrouding their faces. Stacey was more freaked out by how they managed to sneak up on them without as such as making a sound. Focusing back on the cloaked figure she assumed was the leader as he spoke for the group. He too was shrouded in a dark cloak and appeared slightly taller and grasped a worn staff that had a purple tip. Eyes roaming down to his other arm she saw a familiar froggie being petting affectionately. Instantly her eyes turned harsh as daggers were thrown in its, direction.

’How DARE that little **** betray us, it lead us throughout this god awful adventure only to turn on us, you better stay by his side Croagunk for if I get my hands on you there won’t be enough time in the world to pick up the pieces of your flesh’ she roared in her mind too furious to speak. Reaper sensing the rage in his trainer spiralled out of his keystone and putting two and two together instantly met her emotion head on as various voices seemed to roar out at once in a haunting melody of anger.

“You’ve played your part well, none of us would be here without you”, the man said in a snarky tone, his voice far too powerful to be taken lightly, “But now my fair angel, you must be put to rest. Kill them! Kill them all!”

Stacey was instantly on guard and her Pokemon took defensive stances ready to fight to the death since he had offered no alternative. She was clearly outnumbered but she had faith in her Pokemon and she could call on all 6 which she might need. The way the man smirked from under his hood creeped her out and her skin crawled, she could sense his power and knew that she couldn’t drop her guard, she had never felt so nervous going into a battle but with their lives on the line what else could she feel. His minions started to jeer and all turn to face the small group as their leader lifted is staff before dropping it to the ground sending two wisps of indigo energy as shadow energy rippled from the staff and the beams of energy exploded into the ground and two figures emerged bathed in grey and purple. Stacey felt her heart drop and her stomach knot as the Muk and Dusclops scream their voices filling the silent jungle and making her shiver. Their bodies were a familiar grey blue, eyes filled with unbridled rage and hatred glowing a violent red … Shadow Pokemon! She had one of her own and knew how hard they were to train, they must be high levelled, her own Tropius would be no match especially with the typing. Her own Pokemon were now at a major disadvantage and she began to fear for all their lives.

Before she even had a chance to order any attacks Dusclops began to wiggle its fingers and she felt her body suddenly become still and stiff, like she had turned to stone, a light blue aura surrounding her. She couldn’t even widen her eyes in shock, though mentally she did, looking down to her Pokemon she saw that they mirrored her thoughts looking horrified at her state. The gathered onlookers seemed to beam with pride at the Pokemon’s show of skill and malice. Stacey was now only a spectator in this battle as the two Shadows had picks of her team. Muk seemed to act next rolling something around in its mouth before spitting out the Gunk in a thick Shot that shot across the air with such speed she had never seen before and struck Jericho across his chest throwing him into a tree KO’ed.

’No … no, Jericho. It’s so powerful, how can we stop these madmen? Stop it, leave my Pokemon alone!’ she whispered horrified at how quickly the situation was dissolving into a nightmare.

Her gaze was drawn to Dusclops who was slowly stalking towards Maddie who was frozen in fear trembling at the sight of the larger ghost Pokemon, she couldn’t even move to escape.

’Oh no, please God no leave Maddie alone. Please … Maddie run, you’ve got to run … RUN PLEASE!’ she screamed in her mind feeling a tear of fear run down her cheek. Dusclops extends its arms and its bandages unravelled and slowly made their way over to the tiny teddy who could only watch them wrap around her form. Stacey screamed again but it was all in her mind, she wanted to much to run over and tear Dusclops’s eye out for this. The ghost began to Bind her tightly squeezing the air from her lungs and trying its best to crush her bones too.

’No NO NO NO! She’s just a child, god please stop it STOP IT. Attack me, kill me, but pl-please leave her alone,’ she began sobbing heavily her body responding as heavy tears ran down her face staring at the man who was orchestrating this.

’Please … please’ she begged him, begging was all she had left, hoping he could hear her and would listen, ’Just let them go, you can have me, do whatever you want with me but … *sob* let them go..’. As he laughed cold heartedly her blood ran cold as she saw Maddie slump out cold but with Dusclops still crushing her. She felt all hope leave her and she would have slumped into a pathetic mess in defeat if the Disable was not in place.

Suddenly a feminine voice filled the air and Stacey hardly heard it too busy caught up in her misery and sorrow. She felt a strong wind behind her and watched as a young girl float overhead before landing gracefully between her and her tormentor and executor, now know as Dim Sun. She was beautiful Stacey could see that much and had long golden locks that reached down to the floor and as she stood before the entrapped ghost trainer she took on what looked like a battle stance. Stacey didn’t dare to hope but this girl with the ability to fly looked like she could hold her own.

“You will pay for destroying my beautiful garden, Syrian! Giratina is on his way” she spoke in soft tones and Stacey’s attention was suddenly caught, Giratina, it was coming here? She felt a thrill of excitement despite the situation but it was soon drowned out as caught sight of her Pokemon once more. A majestic voice followed as a white and green creature galloped forward circling the trees causing flowers to bloom in its wake. It seemed to grin cockily at the gathered trainers and Pokemon as it finished its lap.

’Shaymin? I never thought I’d see one, I am imagining all this?’ Shaymin landed before the two Shadow Pokemon, Dusknoir glaring angrily at the intrusion withdrawing its bandages from Maddie’s fallen form. As both shadows round on Shaymin it begins to regret its position and reverted to its land forme as duel Shadow Balls were charged before it. The leader seemed amused by this and pulled his hood back; if Stacey could recoil in horror, she would have, he hardly looked human! Is eyes were a deep red matching the throbbing veins on his face which was also marred with scars. He grinned revealing vicious fangs that stretched past his lips.

“Beautiful Iris, if Giratina is on his way then my plan is sailing smoothly”, that didn’t sound good at all. He was trying to summon Giratina? What did he want with it? Stacey wasn’t sure she wanted to know. The girl looked on nervously matching her Shaymin’s gaze, the gratitude Pokemon worried about this news and the situation it was in. Suddenly she waved her arms and Stacey felt her body move of its own accord. She had her freedom of movement returned to her and collapsed to the ground the exhaustion and negative emotions weakening her body. She looked up her body shivering from the shock of it all. Her gaze turned to Maddie and Jericho and she felt her eyes well up, they suffered so much, tortured for just being here with her. Why? Reaper was by her side instantly guarding her as best as possible keeping his gaze focused on the demon before them. Said demon looked at her in rage and raised his staff only for the girl to wave her arms turning his Shadows into wisps of black and grey. Stacey had just about made it to her feet on unsteady legs when the girl ran to her grasping her shoulders nearly knocking her over.

“Run my dear!” Iris pleas “Run faster than your legs can carry you and don’t look back!” She implored looking deep into the misty blue eyes of the elder woman. Stacey looked down to her fallen friends and felt more tears rise and fall from her eyes. She shakily held up their balls and returned them quickly before running off in the opposite direction sobbing her heart out, Reaper having a job to keep up with her. She was blinded by tears, a blurred view of the jungle as she ran over vine and through bushes tearing more of her clothing. All she could see was the torture of her Pokemon. It played over and over in her mind, Maddie with a look of terror facing something from a nightmare that tried to kill her. It shouldn’t have happened, she shouldn’t have put them in that situation. Deep down she knew it wasn’t her fault but the guilt was eating away at her.

’Why does this follow me around? Why is my life a canvas of blood and pain? Why can’t have a normal life where my Pokemon are safe and happy? Why … Why did they have to suffer?’ The last thought had her sobbing turned up to a new level and in her rush she didn’t see the uprooted tree trunk and fell over it landing harshly on the ground. Breathing erratically unable to calm her emotions she lay in a heap on the wet ground, yet more mud soaking into her clothes and painting her skin Reaper had caught up t her and took in her dishelleved and pitiful appeared. He floated over to her and saw the far off look in her eyes as she silently cried. He didn’t know what to do or say, his souls had seen some horrors in their past, caused most of them so the events had not shocked him. He warily eyed her wondering what to do now. He knew nothing about comforting women, torturing, stalking, attacking and raping women yes, but not one of his souls had been all that caring to the opposite sex and so he sat silently keeping guard as he waited patiently for his trainer to sort herself out.

Food Guy: The chips were down for your evil self, and against all odds he’s determined to go out with a bang. On your side of the range, it looked as though all the cards where in your favour, and even with a hard-hitting force of shadow it looked as though the chipper Sunflower could just as easily bounce back. These thoughts rattle through your mind, however there’s little else to do now but cheer on your comrade as the orders are sent and both grass types spring into action. Sunny is first up, wafting a thick stream of pink fragrance across the pitch and filling it with a Sweet Scent. The enemy grimaces at first, but as the sugary aroma snakes its way to the shadow foe, he can’t help feeling taken back by a whiff. The once feral flora suddenly settles into an unruffled state, the heartless trainer slurring at the evil-Sunny for slipping up so easily. With a streak of confidence, the chirpy sunflower continues his cheery rampage, a few blades of Grass weaving forward before ensnarling the shadow Sunny, tugging on his stem and tripping him up once more. The Pokémon yelps, this time more embarrassed than hurt. “Get up!” his trainer spits, the evil Sunny weakly stumbling to his feet and enveloping in a Shadowy aura as he had done several times before. He gallops forward, guns-a-blazing in all hopes to End things for the golden grass-type. Sunny hastily whips up a force of Nature taking the Power of a dark attack. The too forces collide, the shadowed doppelganger leaping into the Dark Pulse causing an explosion of black smoke enveloping the entire cavern in dust. The smoke soon dies down, leaving one Sunflora standing whilst the other lay unconscious... Level-Up for Sunny!

“No fair!” Karmas yells, aiming a Shadow Ball at the comatose Sunny which is quickly sucked up by its purplish ray, “You’ll pay for this”. Zoran rumbles in light of the threat, the boy’s Zoran scowling in return. You feel as though another scrap was about to kick off as the two of you circle the dreary crypt, far too timid to ask what the hell was going on. You find yourself settled a few paces ahead of the inky black pool. The doppelganger cracks a half smile, his pale complexion only heightening your heartbeat leaving you completely on edge. “Razor Leaf”, he whispers, your own Shiftry raising his arms in a defensive stance. However, as evil-Zoran flicks his wrists, the cut-throat shuriken don’t hit a single one of you. The dagger-like leaves instead rip across the cobbled flooring, causing the frayed bits rubble to rip loose from the frail clay cracks. The ledge you where so barely parked on breaks apart from the rest before you could barely flinch, plopping into the mystical black pool with you on board! You flail your arms in panic, your last glimpse ahead being the pale-faced teen cracking a wicked smile. *Splash!* You wince as you body is completely drenched in the liquid substance, kicking your legs wildly whilst clinging onto what could only be a terrified Sunny who wraps his leaves around your waist. The black marsh begins swirling as though somebody had pulled a plughole, mixing with streaks of purple and blue to a point it looked like a swirling black hole. Your partnered Shiftry had managed to ricochet off the falling debris without dropping into the pool of illusion, but with arms and head out of sight his face dropped to a distinct glint of fear. Willing to risk his own life to save yours, the wicked Pokemon lunges off the ledge, diving into the whirling vortex with no idea of what awaited. You suddenly feel your limbs freeze up, unable to swim as you drop lifelessly beneath. You desperately squint upward as the dim light from the partially lit tomb hastily fades to a pitch-black chasm. An ominous current continued to tug, bubbles seeping from your mouth and nose as the world around you disappeared from existence and you faded out of consciousness...

Visions rattle through your mind, a world of flashes racing past causing you a great deal of pain. You’re unable to keep up with the wild premonitions, your body tumbling blindly through a dark furrow at a velocity you couldn’t gauge. A trippy sensation overcomes you as you go under again, unable to remain conscious for little more than a few seconds... The heavens above rumble, kick-starting your senses as you weakly open your eyes. Dull clouds where stretching across the night’s sky, a flash of lightning jolting you to your feet. The pitter-patter of heavy rainfall began to sound, bouncing off of the large leaves of the upper canopy whilst they slowly trickled down to the mucky undergrowth. Zoran hops to a branch just a pace ahead, a small sunflower curled up in his arms. He growls gruffly, as if to suggest you should start making tracks... Where had the mystical pool sent you? The humid ambiance brought back recent memories of Lyanazia’s Lost Jungles. You look forward in Zoran’s direction, a long dark opening stretching further than your eyes could see at this time of night. The soaring branches of the Tainted Forest set themselves affront of the full moon, the silhouettes of the twisted twigs give the impression of being crooked claws. A faint gush of trickling water tickled your senses, to your left was a five-foot cliff drop to Typhus flow. Peeking over the small slump, a canoe strapped around a tree captures your eye, swaying gently on the streams current... What will you do?

As the round's orders were sent, Karmas couldn't help but feel that the favour of the battle was on his side. Once again starting off the battle Sunny let out a relaxed sigh, releasing a pink fragrance into the air. The Sweet Scent forced Sunny's evil counterpart to slip into an unsettled state. Happy at what he had done, Sunny continued to attack. This time the Sunflora utilized the power of Grass Knot, the grass wrapping itself around Evil Sunny's feet and tripping him over. The purple sunflower stumbled back onto his feet, covering himself in a Shadowy aura as he did so. Glaring at Sunny, he charged towards the sunflower, hoping to End the battle. Sunny threw his arms up, drawing from Nature's Power, and managed to create a Dark Pulse. Evil Sunny collided with the attack, which resulted in a large explosion. When the smoke caused by the explosion died down, Karmas was ecstatic to find that Sunny was victorious.

“No fair!” Karmas yelled, aiming a Shadow Ball at the comatose Sunny which was quickly sucked up by its purplish ray, “You’ll pay for this.”

At the sound of a threat, Zoran scowled at Evil Karmas, Evil Zoran giving him a scowl back. As the Karmases circled the crypt, Karmas was afraid that a fight between him and his evil twin would break out. But thankfully that didn't happen, instead Karmas found himself in front of the murky pool. Karmas looked at Evil Karmas, and he felt his blood freeze when he saw the smirk on his twin's face.

“Razor Leaf”, he whispered, Zoran raising his arms in a defensive stance.

To Karmas' surprise, when Evil Zoran threw the leaves, not one hit the trio. Instead they ripped up the floor, and before he could do anything, the ledge on which he was standing broke off. Karmas let out a cry as the ledge, and him, landed in the water. As he began to sink into the water, Karmas yelled for Zoran and Sunny to help him. Sunny grabbed out with his leaves, wrapping them around his trainer's waist, a look off terror plastered on his normally cheery face. The water began to churn, in a manner of a plug being pulled out of a sink, with the blue and black streaks of the pool starting to look like a black hole. Zoran, who had managed to avoid falling into the pool, looked at Karmas with a distinct look of fear on his face. He took a gulp before he jumped into the pool, willing to risk his own life to save that of his partner. But it was futile, the moment that Zoran touched the water Karmas felt his body freeze up, and as he squinted up into the air the light dimmed into pitch black. A current pulled and pushed Karmas as bubbles bubbled out of his mouth and nose, thankfully unconsciousness took over.

Sharp pain shot through Karmas' head as visions rolled by one by one. He was unable to keep up with the visions in his head, and Karmas felt a trippy sensation overcame his mind as he fell unconscious again... Karmas awoke to the sound of thunder rumbling over head. A bolt of lightning brought Karmas to his feet as the pitter-patter of rain hitting the leaves sent chills up his spine. He looked ahead and saw Zoran sitting on a branch ahead of him, with Sunny curled up in arms. Seeing the sunflower curled up, obviously tired, Karmas returned the grass type. Zoran gave a ruff growl, a sign that said to Karmas to move on. Wondering where the pool had taken him, Karmas looked in Zoran's direction and saw the soaring branches of the Tainted forest, and to his surprise Karmas heard water trickling. He looked to his left and Karmas saw a five-foot drop to Typhus flow. Karmas also saw that there was a canoe attached to a tree.

"How am I going to get down there?" pondered Karmas when an idea struck him. "Zoran I want you to help me scale that cliff."

As Zoran nodded his head, Karmas plucked a ball from his belt and threw it at the ground. A large manta-ray burst from the ball, Karmas' Matine Ray-Ray.

"Okay Ray-Ray, I want you to use Water Pulse and then Zoran I want you to muster up all your ice energy to create a Blizzard and form a bridge," ordered Karmas, confident in his plan. "Then Ray-Ray, I want you to stay beside me in the water 'cause I'm going to try and paddle that canoe down the river. Zoran I want you to stay in the branches overhead in case something goes wrong."

Mewsic: Having reached a blooming courtyard just a stones throw away from the grand entryway, you find yourself completely taken back by one of the Castle’s critters. Much to your hard luck, the sooner you’d spotted the flowery hedgehog the sooner it was making a break for it. You scald the unruly rex whose rowdy actions were partially to blame for striking fear into the elusive legendaries’ eye. It scuttles about half way up the flowery lattice, barely noticeable amidst all the vinery and its budding pink flowers. You outstretch an arm as a sign of peace, the hedgehog clinging to the ivy and peeping downward with its curiosity piqued. However the magical moment is cut short again as the Shaymin merges back into the flowery barricade and continues to scuttle higher and higher. Your eyes remain fixated, pacing backward slightly so you can see the cute little rodent wriggle up the patches of brickwork toward the tallest of the dozen or so towers. The pudgy white Pokémon becomes harder and harder to see, to a point you have to squint to make out the pinkish Gracedia sprouting from its neck. Shaymin finally reaches a small window, shyly hopping into the open pane into the highest room of the tallest tower. It was a shame to see your encounter made so brief, but looking ahead you notice the fine, oak door had crept wide open. Had somebody let you in? It wasn’t exactly polite to just barge straight in, but as you met the lofty door’s frame, you could already see a great deal of the hall’s interior. The floors where patterned a beautiful marble white, its walls sporting the same marvellous sheen. A few painting patterned the walls: fruit bowls, flower beds, and the like. Just a foot ahead was a long carpet threaded a regal scarlet, stretching all the way down the empty hall and snaking its way up a flight of stairs... You wait a few moments, pacing up and down the outer doormat to no avail, whoever had let you in clearly wasn’t around. What will you do?

Tim stood in awe as he really noticed how tall the castle was upclose, watching the grass covered hedgehog climb its way into the tallest tower. Suddenly the main door creaked open, filled with curiosity, Tim veered his head in, noticing all the fancy decore which would be expected of a castle. After a moments hesitation, Tim entered the luxurious castle, "Hmm, that Shaymin climbed into the tallest tower," Tim thought, "maybe if I climb up the flight of stairs, we'll cross paths again." The teenage trainer and his two companions, Morph and Jurasic, dashed towards the staircase, in an attempt to find the legendary pokemon. "Seems fshy that the doors just opened like that though..." Tim thought in the back of his mind. The trainer shook his head, trying to remove the timid thoughts of his past from his mind. "I wonder if I'll find anything else exciting in this castle though."

I’m really sorry for the delay, I never expected it to take this long. They’re here anyways, and now out group of five goes back down to four with the conclusion of an adventure. With all the work I’ve had outside of college, this batch nearly killed me. Ergo, I’m going back to rapidfire with the exception of Arc Angel, that’ll benefit us all in the long run.

Safari Zone

Treep: The Dung Beetle held its grip on the squishy grey sack, his mandibles chattering frenziedly as they salivated with drool. You had your back against the wall and it all felt as though you where in a little too deep. You could only hope Nimbus could hold his own, every bone in your body paralysed stiff as you volley another set of commands which would no doubt to squeeze him out of the tight spot. The forecast Pok&#233;mon barely receives your audio signals above his high-pitched squealing with the pressure of each barb steadily increasing. He makes out the first attack, Teleport, with a vague thick of mauve energy fizzling around his cranium. Nimbus winces slightly, trying to channel what remained of his psych to no avail! The little sack blacks out through fatigue, leaving Pinsir with another course to his gourmet banquet.

Your heart begins to sink as the rabid invertebrate stretched his gluttonous torso, leaving Nimbus a good few feet above the patchy dirt which he longed so desperately to scuttle across. At this point the oval device was beeping like crazy although you can’t quite move enough to check its LCD display – your eyes still fixated on the barbed chokehold. The sack’s manic whimpers quickly allay as he gasps for breath, strangled to a point he falls comatose. The auburn Beatle’s ears prickle with his wriggly snack no longer struggling. Its somewhat chipped and frayed pincers suddenly snap like an old-time guillotine… His sideways jaws slopped open right on queue for the greyish skull which should’ve landed at his feet by now… Frantically spinning on the spot, the scorched bug rumbles in confusion. Not only had his dinner vanished, but the boy nearby had disappeared in the blink of an eye! It wails in dissatisfaction before hobbling back into the forest to lick its wounds, nearby trainers being sure to stay clear of its territory.

You open your eyes, pupils hastily dilating as you’re welcomed to a brightly-lit room. You stutter forward slightly, overcome with a trippy sensation as if you’d just been thrown off of a merry-go-round. You dizzily walk around the pristine, circular space, flashes of the morning’s events beginning settling into place again. Where was Nimbus!? You rush forward, a barely noticeable line in the whitewashed wall cracking open automatically. A lady in a chic lab coat meets your presence, giving you a rosy smile before strutting into the ovular room.

“I’m sorry to say that’s the end of your Safari Zone Adventure!” the shrill voice announces. Just a second ago you where in the thick of a Jungle, but it appeared you’d slipped up somehow. “Nimbus’s was unable to battle, activating the Pok&#233;nav’s teleportation safety feature. If you’d like to follow me back into the main lobby, your Pok&#233;mon should be treated in a matter of minutes”. The Scientist exits the teleportation room, ushering you to follow her. You follow the silent swagger of stilettos ahead with spirits low, missing out on the Pinsir and more importantly letting Nimbus down. After a few silent paces she welcomes you back into the reception which is just as busy as before. However rather than following the busy queue you find yourself sat in a waiting area with your head in your hands. Suddenly, you feel a small hand thump the back of your head!

“Hey Matthew Brown!” a young redhead announces, “So you lost too huh?” At this point you recognise the small freckled boy, who you’d remembered as Twiggy, only this time unaccompanied by his older sister. The short kid continues to interrogate you, bothering you at every turn until he gets the gist of your account.

“Wow, your Castform took on a Pinsir!? I wonder how Susie’s fendin’, she’s still out huntin’”, he sighs, probably too juvenile to get the ferry by himself and cooped in the lobby until his sister returns, “I didn’t manage to catch any Pok&#233;mon but I snagged this wicked cool Safari Ball as a constellation prize!” The boy then involuntarily flashes a camo-style Pokeball in your face, still chuffed even though he’d made a mess himself. Maybe there was something to learn from his chipper attitude, but right now you couldn’t wait to collect Nimbus and move on.

“Matthew Brown?” the pink-haired receptionist asks, catching your attention after a few minutes shuffling through your MP3, “Nimbus is fighting fit! If you’d like to collect his Pokeball there’s a ferry schedule over at the Information Desk”. The woman keeps a cheery disposition, handing you the sphere which no doubt housed the energetic Weather Pok&#233;mon. Twiggy was stood less than a pace behind, the annoying shadow you’d be somewhat pleased to get rid of.

“Oh and I almost forgot!” the receptionist yells, “You did capture a Pok&#233;mon, right?” she starts tapping away furiously at a computer, and Twiggy’s eyes seemed to flicker with curiosity. “Yep that’s right, a Lv.3 Cherubi, female I believe. It’s housed in a Safari Ball; you can take it if you like. We often get trainers, who don’t have enough room to look after another Pok&#233;mon, in which case they’re released back into the preservation. What do you say?” A muddy green ball shoots up from a tube on the receptionist’s desk. It’d be a shame to go home empty handed, but then again the small shrub didn’t exactly make up for the loss of Pinsir.

“Cherubi!? Cool!” The ginger kid grins, “Hey, Matthew, if you’re not bothered about that Pok&#233;mon, I’ll trade ya for my Safari Ball… I haven’t seen these anywhere in the shops, I swear I’m not connin’ ya! How about it?” Whilst his whiny voice was less than tolerable, by some streak of luck you’d been given a nice alternative. You’d never see the youngster again, but maybe your fruity find would lead a much better life in the dynamic hands of Twiggy. What say you, Sonny Jim?

Upon replying to this update, choosing to either take a Safari Ball containing a Lv.3 Female Cherubi or Twiggy’s empty Safari Ball, you’ll effectively end your Lyanazia Adventure. Not how I expected things to go down, but a happy ending all the same. Just watch out when using foreign moves in battles, I consulted Tess and she agreed this was the most appropriate ending. Adventures aren’t always about winning, m’fraid. All that aside, you’ve been an excellent RPer and I wish you the best of luck in your future adventures. Emp.

Lost Jungles

Arc Angel: In the heat of a traumatising scuffle, you feel the mysterious heroine press you backwards with a disquieting glint of concern welling in her cerulean iris. The heavy downpour hammered against the thick canopy of shrubbery, beating its way through the murky foliage and pattering against your skull. Despite the cold chill your blood was boiled, a flood of tears trickling down your face from the moment the goddess released you from your spellbound state. The bottled emotions rattling through your mind where all let lose at once, your legs juddering as you continued to hold back the anger which was bursting to explode – even Impish would be torn apart by the near god-like antagonist. Despite the heartache you’d yielded to, the thought of further torture was just a few seconds in the making. Taking quite literally to her words, you withdraw the comatose bear and lifeless sack of toxins and dash to the nearest break in trees. It was tricky trying to make out the blurry branches camouflaged in a muffle of moss amidst the veil of tears masking your eyesight. You took whatever risk you had to, closing your eyes tight as you could, venerably rushing away from the skirmish and vowing never to look back. Desperately shambling over thick roots and waving past curtains of vinery, the sound of your own footsteps pounding against the damp soil giving you little else to think about. Less than a minute passes as you wrangle your way through the trickiest thicks of the Lost Jungle, the likes of which most trainers would shudder think of. Rolling up a muddy sleeve you wipe away the moist drips running down your cheeks, almost certain you’d gained enough leeway. You weren’t out of the woods just yet by any means, a collapsed block of timber catching your ankle as you scurried onward sending you flying off of your track!

The fall sends you tumbling face first against the spiked fragments of a buckled oak, fortunate that the torrential shower and sticky moss had weathered the blunt splinters to a point they shatter on your weight leaving less than a few grazes. You groan weakly, in need of a hero when all you had was an ethereal felon with a Dissociative identity disorder. Reaper settles his keystone on the log beside you, but he doesn’t bother to pick you up despite a familiar red fluid trickling down from your head onto the shattered remains of a lightning-stricken tree. You hadn’t fallen under however, the pitter-patter of rainfall still leaving you very much conscious as you weakly attempted to recompose yourself. You press your chafed fingers on the bits of log, digging your feet into the muddy thickets as you groaned in pain. Despite how physically and emotionally drained you felt there was no giving up now. You owed it to Pok&#233;mon who’d fought by your side. One leg at a time, you get to your feet, a distinct sensation of victory filling the air with the apathetic Spiritomb phasing to your side on queue. It doesn’t take long to sink in that you were still on a runaway, making your way through a small span of uneven terrain you’re left with another choice as for what to do next. You find yourself panting for air, scanning the leafy expanse for any source of life. There was something… a gentle crunching of dead leaves prickling your ears. A few low grunts cause your heart to skip a beat, but the noise was only that of a passing Stantler drinking from a shallow stream. There was a sharp silence, something didn’t feel right.

The strapping antelope’s eyes widen, its black pupils dilated as its rear stiffened. The cream coloured quadruped was less than subdued; breaking away from the hazy tributary as if scared out of its wits. You could only imagine the types of predator lurking in such dark stretches, with a distinct sense of empathy causing your body to instinctively curl into a defensive stance. The stag flinches at the very twitch of your limbs, you almost feel in a safe position until it crumples its face and fearfully stampedes forward in its own defence! Under usual circumstances you would’ve had a chance to swiftly react – perhaps send the mighty Macabre to telekinise a barrier – but is was all too quick for your all too tethered reactions. The antelope kicks through thickets of grass, mindlessly lunging forward in little less than the blink of an eye! A loud thump and you slam rearward down a drop of uneven terrain. The forest grows abruptly silent, you gasp in shock, wincing upward at the dusky sky unable to make a noise as blood pours up your throat. Your pale hands shake feebly, hovering over your blouse which was entirely severed and painted a deep red. Trying best not to succumb to the screaming pain you notice the Keystone rattle furiously beside you. More than it had ever had before. You could only hope Reaper would take away the pain, heal your broken bones and sew up your punctured lung - or at least scar the beast that had so chokingly rammed you against the toothed rocks of the cavernous valley. No such events happen under your witness. The pain grows too hard to bear, and you resist any further attempts of sitting up, the back of your head falling flat against the lifeless terra.

Lifted, all pain suddenly slips away, your spirit drifting through dark recesses almost through instinct. What you experienced now you where likely to forget, nothing felt right, but everything felt right. You look down at your former self, an empty carcass with no ties to you now. Not even your Pok&#233;mon could stop you from, transcending. Ahead, a bright light. Glorious warmth emanating from it. Your family, you feel your parents helping you break away from this world and into the next. There was so much light there, so much peace... Suddenly you feel your mystical journey grind to a halt. Your spirit faltering backward. It was a disgusting feeling. The warm light grew dimmer and colder, the sense of company from the two you had loved and lost weakening with it.

You start to feel again. Exhaustion, pain, misery, to name a few of the sensations now rattling through your mind. There was nothing motivating you to wake up, a thick quilt covering your body and you could only assume you’d been dreaming. The now dry locks of brunette drape softly against a plump pillow – you’d spend whatever time you could resting and face the burden of reality in the morning...

“Stacey...” a calm voice rasps faintly “Stacey, wake up my dear we don’t have much time”. With that, you feel a pair of warm hands caress your own motherly. You whimper jadedly, opening your eyes to what looked like a queen’s bedroom. Dawn had broken and the morning sun was serenely flickering against a stained glass window. The room was painted a chalky white, complimenting the dark brown oak of your four-poster bed and the adjacent dresser. As you look away from the extravagant features of the luxurious suite, you find yourself fixated on the cerulean eyes of the blonde goddess.

“I know what you’re about to ask, your Pok&#233;mon are fine”, she smiles, walking across the room gracefully unsure where to start, “What I’m more worried about... is you, Stacey”. Her weak smile suddenly slumps into a grave stare of concern, causing some confusion. You slowly slide away the silk duvet, terrified at what you may find. Inch after inch, you uncover the open wounds. The sight of a few sharp cuts sends you sick, but these scratches paled in comparison to the gaping puncture below your breast. Bones and organs you expected to never see where exposed so unnaturally. Tears begin trickling down your face as though you’d known all along, but you’d somehow repressed the sickening truth that things would never be the same. You’d come face to face with some of the most perilous feats, you had treasured a naive sense of invincibility for so long.

“I was lucky I managed to fend off those fiends before you crossed over, but I could not permanently revive you”, she pauses again, choosing her words very carefully which was all too difficult in this situation, “You’re dead Stacey, but you’ll remain here, with the living. I’m afraid you have unfinished business”. The woman paces to a door obscured by one of the oak trunks of your bed, turning its handle and letting in a warm breeze of fresh air.

“How about we have some tea, you’ve been up to so much in the past few days I think it’s time we have a chat”, the worry in her voice panics you somewhat, but alas you manage your way out of the cosy sheets and onto your feet. Your ragged attire had been replaced with a lavender nightie which gave a similar scent to its colour; thankfully it did a good job of covering your mortal wounds. You follow Iris into the bedroom’s balcony, where she was now sat at a circular table with two chairs. There was an ornate tea set laid out, small pots of sugar and honey complimenting a much larger teapot. Beyond the balcony you could hardly imagine the world was in such disarray, acres of blooming meadow flowing delicately against the soft breeze. You notice a cluster of Buneary peeking from their burrows, wheedling into wondering what’d become of Reaper and your other Pok&#233;mon.

“Please, sit down”, Iris gestures the bordering seat with a warm smile, “I can sense the cloud of confusion hazing in your mind. I’m sure you have many questions, so please, ask away”. Flashes of yesterday flutter back. A toothless hag muttering about destiny. A villainous shaman readying to destroy you for reasons you couldn’t possibly comprehend. You’d caught a glimpse of the Renegade Pok&#233;mon. Surely you’d need your questions answered before you went any further…

Xiaolin Temple

Hayward: Whilst the pup didn’t seem all that cut out to be a sheep dog, she’d managed to bully a few of the swaggering sheep back into the marching line. As the sea of yellow wool gently makes its course toward the pen, it seems about time to move onto gathering the fabric. Hyneo woofs affectionately as you itch the back of his droopy ears, hurriedly hopping back to the job as you amble downhill to the oak stable. The little pooch had done you proud, but now it was Keo’s time to shine! With the doorway crammed with shaggy Mareep, you hurdle over one of the waist-high gates, noticing the bottomless auburn sacks seamlessly empty besides a few trimmings of blonde. You ruffle open one of the sacks, the carroty crustacean clicking his pincers excitedly as he scuttled over to his first customer. You wince at the thought of several jolts of electricity flowing through the bony water-type, but it looks as though Krabby was avoiding just a disaster with extra precision. He takes wide Cuts around the outer thicks of the yellow wool. With a few inches sheared, his snips grow further precise, taking quick Cuts with little Fury intended. At this point, the Mareep is looking considerably slender, the fiddler crab adding his final touches with an X-Scissor. Keo grins with a glint of pride as though he’d uncovered a hidden endowment of his, yourself and Medeo being sure to pick up the shags of blonde fibre surrounding the naked Pok&#233;mon. Things start falling into place as Krabby quickly makes his way round the herd, the sacks beginning to fill while the amount of shaggy livestock declined. Yuri helps out too, carrying out the bald Mareep with care, which quickly declutters the crowded pen. An hour passes and you wipe the drops of sweat from your forehead, the cluster of sacks full to the brim with wool. Keo grins despite the sparks of electricity crackling up his limbs, Hyneo still outdoors barking rowdily at the shaven sheep for nothing other than her own entertainment.

“Your teamwork skills are excellent!” Yuri exclaims, impressed enough by your strong bonds, “now we have a few hours before the sun meets the eagle and another job too. You may consider lowering your number to just you and Medeo though. Hyneo is a bit too playful for where we’re headed, and as for Keo, someone may mistake him for a dish!” She giggles to herself again, which would be quite awkward if you where still out of the know. Nevertheless you recall two of your helpers and follow Yuri up a new trail. Your sneakers scuff against the gravelly path and you can only assume the rising sun had dried up the patches of morning dew. You pass through the more rustic patches of land, admiring the autumn leaves barely dangling from the terrific oaks, the golden ambiance being somewhat similar to National Park of the Johto rejoin. A few natives cross your path, nodding courteously at Yuri yet sending you the funniest looks... perhaps there’d been rumour mill had been busy in your absence? The young monk finally grinds to a halt, stood affront the paper door of a whitewash architect. She slides the entrance apart, the open foyer giving a heavenly whiff of freshly baked bread. You follow her into the structure, passing a few corridors before reaching a pristine kitchen. A few workers were busily striding up and down, sporting white bandanas around their head as they whisked their bowls and chopped their fish. You couldn’t help getting the feeling you’d be washing pots for the next few hours, but after a few words with the oldest of the staff, Yuri finally approaches you with an optimistic smile.

“The head chef is very worked up. He’s been up all night trying to prepare a dish to impress the noblemen, to no avail. It appears Kaito claimed his food was bland and lacked character. The chef hasn’t been the same since”, Yuri explains on a rather sympathetic tone, “but this is where you and Medeo come in. With your awareness of other cultures, he believes you could prepare something that Kaito has never tried before. And I’m sure that’ll wipe the smug look off of my brother’s face too. How about it? We don’t have much time”. The Chinese girl looks into your eyes rather desperately, driven by the idea of shutting her smug sibling up. Considering you may have felt out of depth, she grabs your hand, heaving open a heavy, silver door. She escorts you into the room, a large pantry which held a frosty chill. Shelves and shelves of produce where stacked about the food cupboard; poultry, beef cuts, vegetables, the works! There were several spice racks scattered about, and a few sacks of rice slouched in a corner. You could only guess the amount of ingredients crammed into the pantry; Medeo looks just about ready to chow down as he rubs his hands hungrily. Before you can even have your say you find yourself surrounded by workers ready to follow yours and Medeo’s lead. It was time you gave Kaito a dish he’d never forget, whether you had revenge in mind was another matter all together.

The name of the game is cuisine. You’ll have three noblemen to prepare for: Kaito, Sensei and Mr.Hwan. Let’s start with Kaito, he prefers his food spicy and Dynamic. Take that however you want to, but the outcome of the food you prepare will have an effect on your adventure in the long run. What you have to do is take me through what ingredients you’re using, and a step by step guide of how you’re preparing the meal. All you have to prepare is a main course. You’ll have an unlimited supply of any and every ingredient and cooking aide you can think of - be creative and imaginative and please use online recipe books if it helps. Once you’ve prepared Kaito’s meal, I’ll update you on how it goes, and then you’ll move onto the next nobleman. You can use your Pok&#233;mon to help with tasks too if you want, the other workers will only be observing and won’t be helping.

The Reverse World

Pikagod: In a nutshell, you’d been faced with a twin you didn’t know you had, and now you’d be walking miles in his shoes in search of a powerful artefact. There was a dark twist in the foggy clouds above, blocking the starry night’s sky and downing a chilling impression something frightening was in the works. You bow your head, watching as the moonlight glittered against the speedy waterway. An unsafe drop would lead to a tribal canoe, barely roped against a stable trunk and suspended by the water reefs. Despite the fact your blistered feet had about enough of walking, the idea of a leisurely raft seemed to pique the hidden sailor within. With that another Pokeball leaves your hand and plops into the river, sinking out of view. The dark riverbank suddenly flickers a dazzling white, a bluish manta ray swimming against the fast current, skimming across the surface as though he hadn’t had a good swim in a while. His antennae prickle upward as he listens intently to your orders, Zoran bracing himself for a technique he’d be troubled to pull off. The Wicked Pok&#233;mon crosses his arms as he light-footedly hops onto a branch with a good vantage of the wide canal whilst Ray-Ray leaps from the surface with his beady eyes scrunched with determination. Suddenly! A cyan sphere bursts from his maw, the Pulse of Water spinning rapidly in place. Mantine quickly dips back in the water, with the sphere still suspended above the river bank. Zoran grits his wooden face in concentration, his fan-like hands glowing with an icy tint. Wafting the appendages rapidly, the Shiftry manages to muster up a blustery Blizzard which downs against the Water Pulse right on queue. The two attacks bond together, splattering against the steep drop and creating a frozen stairwell to the canoe in the blink of an eye. The bridge looks rickety to say the least, and the fact white froths of water were pumping against it cause you to scuttle down it before it had a chance to collapse. You’re lucky enough to make the five-foot scramble, trying to keep your balance as you gripped the sides of the wooden boat whilst the icy bridge behind hastily crumbed in less than a few seconds. Zoran drops out of the tree, landing safely on the nose of the tribal canoe without losing momentum. With Ray-Ray’s shadow still visible beneath the water’s surface, you try your hand at untying the tight knots keeping the boat still. Sooner had you unravelled one knot, Zoran slashes the other, pushing the boat into action for a wobbly departure. Gripping the sides with all your might, the wooden raft speeds down the white rapids of the jungle’s unsteady terrain, giving you little time to absorb the surrounding environment. A few greyish Zubat flutter past but you’re all too preoccupied in steadying the canoe at every turn, the thought of crashing into the jagged rock formations at the foot of every cascade sending you on high-alert. After one of the most hectic five minutes of your life, you find the hazardous rapids subside into wider waterways with a gentle current. The manta ray leaps a few feet out of the water, reciting his name and performing an arch over your kayak. In any case both your comrades where out of harm's way. Sailing at a slower pace gives you a better view of the backdrop; the riverbank had become marshier, with thick mossy shrubbery layering against the murky shores. Trees branches snaked their way from one side of the broad river to the other, a few snowy white Noctowl sending you a hypnotising gaze from above with their ruby eyes. A family of purplish Wooper where snoozing on the outskirts, and with all natural wildlife taking a shadow form you could only wonder how you’d managed to avoid an attack for so long... perhaps you’d thought too soon! A few splashes down the course of the waterway sends Ray-Ray on high alert; coaxing him into circling the canoe protectively. Suddenly the unsettling glow of dozens of red dots cause you to took your arms into the Kayak. *snap!* A few of the fish jet forward to the manta’s surprise, taking sizable a chunk out of the canoe! A few punctures in the ride cause it to slowly begin filling with water. Warily gazing outward you discover the waters to be infested with Carvana! About six where harassing your Mantine whilst the rest took their pick at your boat! It looked as though you were in trouble!

What will you do?

Garden of Iris

Music Box: Whilst trespassing wasn’t an activity you enjoyed, the fantasy budding from the flowery hedgehog manages to cloud your better judgement coaxing you into stepping foot in the fairytale bastion. With that you set your sights on the carpeted stairwell with Jurasic and Morph following suite. It made sense you’d reach the pinnacle of the tower by following any and every flight of steps you met, so you hastily wipe the muck off of your sneakers before trailing up the threaded carpet. Beautiful stain-glass murals coloured the foot of the grand hall, the sun’s rays creating a Technicolor reflection against the scarlet throw. You admire the heavenly rainbow without getting too distracted or slowing your pace. Ambling up the flight of stairs you keep your wits about you, the idea of running into a landlord putting a thorn in your side, especially given the track of muddy dino-prints your reptilian comrade had set. About thirty minutes pass, at which point you’re panting for breath given you’d climbed about seven stories already. The same can’t be said for the T-Rex ahead, whose impressive sense of smell seemed to be doing you well for a change as he seemed to know which corridor to follow at every turn. You meet an open door leading to a spiral staircase which didn’t seem all that glamorous compared to the rest of the castle. Instead of the whitewash walls it sported a greyish medieval hue, the floors made of old oak rather than luxurious marble. Still, Jurasic snorted franticly at the door, his hunting instincts insisting the flowery legendary was ahead. With that you take lead, travelling up the spiral stairwell which would match that of the tallest tower... and boy did it live up to its description! Whilst you’d been animated just a few minutes ago, by the time you’d reached the top each step was harder and harder to climb. Staggering up the last few steps felt like a hike up Terror Mountain – thank goodness that was over. You open another oak door, welcomed to a warm room faintly lit by a dozen or so candles. There wasn’t much to look at, a few trinkets scattered in the crevices, but this attic looked like it served as nothing more than a storeroom for the goddess’s old junk. Suddenly! You spot the Shaymin at the corner of your eye, sat on a dusty old dresser trying to open a heavy brown book with his nose. You gently walk to its side, it doesn’t run away for a change. Noticing it struggle to open the hardback, you blow the dust off of its front. Fizzby Tails for Grizzly Kids. You turn the front page, a tingle of magic running up your arm giving you shivers. It looked like a contents page, with three titles accompanied by an animated illustration. The first story was Hansel and Gretel, accompanied by a drawing of two chubby Lickitung sporting green lederhosen where leisurely skipping through a forest, the one with blonde pigtails dropping bread crumbs in her wake. The next one was titled Jack and the Beanstalk, beside it a Riolu dressed in rags was climbing up a giant stalk which seemed to snake all the way up to the clouds. The third, Goldie Locks, pictured with a Smoochum making a mess of someone’s home and scoffing its weight down in porridge. Shaymin meeps enthusiastically, it looked as though he wanted you to read him a story, but which one piques your interest?

I’m really sorry for the delay, I never expected it to take this long. They’re here anyways, and now out group of five goes back down to four with the conclusion of an adventure. With all the work I’ve had outside of college, this batch nearly killed me. Ergo, I’m going back to rapidfire with the exception of Arc Angel, that’ll benefit us all in the long run.

Safari Zone

Treep: The Dung Beetle held its grip on the squishy grey sack, his mandibles chattering frenziedly as they salivated with drool. You had your back against the wall and it all felt as though you where in a little too deep. You could only hope Nimbus could hold his own, every bone in your body paralysed stiff as you volley another set of commands which would no doubt to squeeze him out of the tight spot. The forecast Pok&#233;mon barely receives your audio signals above his high-pitched squealing with the pressure of each barb steadily increasing. He makes out the first attack, Teleport, with a vague thick of mauve energy fizzling around his cranium. Nimbus winces slightly, trying to channel what remained of his psych to no avail! The little sack blacks out through fatigue, leaving Pinsir with another course to his gourmet banquet.

Your heart begins to sink as the rabid invertebrate stretched his gluttonous torso, leaving Nimbus a good few feet above the patchy dirt which he longed so desperately to scuttle across. At this point the oval device was beeping like crazy although you can’t quite move enough to check its LCD display – your eyes still fixated on the barbed chokehold. The sack’s manic whimpers quickly allay as he gasps for breath, strangled to a point he falls comatose. The auburn Beatle’s ears prickle with his wriggly snack no longer struggling. Its somewhat chipped and frayed pincers suddenly snap like an old-time guillotine… His sideways jaws slopped open right on queue for the greyish skull which should’ve landed at his feet by now… Frantically spinning on the spot, the scorched bug rumbles in confusion. Not only had his dinner vanished, but the boy nearby had disappeared in the blink of an eye! It wails in dissatisfaction before hobbling back into the forest to lick its wounds, nearby trainers being sure to stay clear of its territory.

You open your eyes, pupils hastily dilating as you’re welcomed to a brightly-lit room. You stutter forward slightly, overcome with a trippy sensation as if you’d just been thrown off of a merry-go-round. You dizzily walk around the pristine, circular space, flashes of the morning’s events beginning settling into place again. Where was Nimbus!? You rush forward, a barely noticeable line in the whitewashed wall cracking open automatically. A lady in a chic lab coat meets your presence, giving you a rosy smile before strutting into the ovular room.

“I’m sorry to say that’s the end of your Safari Zone Adventure!” the shrill voice announces. Just a second ago you where in the thick of a Jungle, but it appeared you’d slipped up somehow. “Nimbus’s was unable to battle, activating the Pok&#233;nav’s teleportation safety feature. If you’d like to follow me back into the main lobby, your Pok&#233;mon should be treated in a matter of minutes”. The Scientist exits the teleportation room, ushering you to follow her. You follow the silent swagger of stilettos ahead with spirits low, missing out on the Pinsir and more importantly letting Nimbus down. After a few silent paces she welcomes you back into the reception which is just as busy as before. However rather than following the busy queue you find yourself sat in a waiting area with your head in your hands. Suddenly, you feel a small hand thump the back of your head!

“Hey Matthew Brown!” a young redhead announces, “So you lost too huh?” At this point you recognise the small freckled boy, who you’d remembered as Twiggy, only this time unaccompanied by his older sister. The short kid continues to interrogate you, bothering you at every turn until he gets the gist of your account.

“Wow, your Castform took on a Pinsir!? I wonder how Susie’s fendin’, she’s still out huntin’”, he sighs, probably too juvenile to get the ferry by himself and cooped in the lobby until his sister returns, “I didn’t manage to catch any Pok&#233;mon but I snagged this wicked cool Safari Ball as a constellation prize!” The boy then involuntarily flashes a camo-style Pokeball in your face, still chuffed even though he’d made a mess himself. Maybe there was something to learn from his chipper attitude, but right now you couldn’t wait to collect Nimbus and move on.

“Matthew Brown?” the pink-haired receptionist asks, catching your attention after a few minutes shuffling through your MP3, “Nimbus is fighting fit! If you’d like to collect his Pokeball there’s a ferry schedule over at the Information Desk”. The woman keeps a cheery disposition, handing you the sphere which no doubt housed the energetic Weather Pok&#233;mon. Twiggy was stood less than a pace behind, the annoying shadow you’d be somewhat pleased to get rid of.

“Oh and I almost forgot!” the receptionist yells, “You did capture a Pok&#233;mon, right?” she starts tapping away furiously at a computer, and Twiggy’s eyes seemed to flicker with curiosity. “Yep that’s right, a Lv.3 Cherubi, female I believe. It’s housed in a Safari Ball; you can take it if you like. We often get trainers, who don’t have enough room to look after another Pok&#233;mon, in which case they’re released back into the preservation. What do you say?” A muddy green ball shoots up from a tube on the receptionist’s desk. It’d be a shame to go home empty handed, but then again the small shrub didn’t exactly make up for the loss of Pinsir.

“Cherubi!? Cool!” The ginger kid grins, “Hey, Matthew, if you’re not bothered about that Pok&#233;mon, I’ll trade ya for my Safari Ball… I haven’t seen these anywhere in the shops, I swear I’m not connin’ ya! How about it?” Whilst his whiny voice was less than tolerable, by some streak of luck you’d been given a nice alternative. You’d never see the youngster again, but maybe your fruity find would lead a much better life in the dynamic hands of Twiggy. What say you, Sonny Jim?

Upon replying to this update, choosing to either take a Safari Ball containing a Lv.3 Female Cherubi or Twiggy’s empty Safari Ball, you’ll effectively end your Lyanazia Adventure. Not how I expected things to go down, but a happy ending all the same. Just watch out when using foreign moves in battles, I consulted Tess and she agreed this was the most appropriate ending. Adventures aren’t always about winning, m’fraid. All that aside, you’ve been an excellent RPer and I wish you the best of luck in your future adventures. Emp.

Thanks for the adventure Emp, it was good while it lasted. Just for reference, I'll be taking the Safari Ball

He could feel the battle coming to an end, the pulsating of his heart vigorously beating to remain resolute with the enthralling but terrifying battle a few short meters in front of his eyes. As Castform as locked in a blender of clacking teeth and Pinsir’s and heading for certain doom, Matthew shouted out some quick emergency orders to the weather Pok&#233;mon as the deflated balloon seemed to continue with resolve and hard work to overcome the obstacle, if not for the pride of itself and finding itself as a hunter but also to attain the rather aggressive bug-type to its owner’s team, a part of the succumbed dream team Matthew had planned for the distant future. With level balance and type balance jittering all over his team, a sturdy fighter was one of the first things he needed.

Watching a particularly nasty salivate of drool exceed from the Pinsir’s mouth and down onto the stag mented teeth juxtaposed for maximum chewing abilities, Matthew looked at the specimen in detail for the last time, the white prickly horns covered in defensive spikes to cause more damage to the opponent stupid enough the physically attack the Pok&#233;mon while the skinny toes and flat footed approach helped it in its natural environment; the forest floors.

Indeed he was in a forest, but Matthew had no time to expand on the beauty of the grey forest, rather, a main priority was getting his Castform out of its predicament to avoid being eaten. Scorning his previous actions as he read them in his head, Matthew could do nought but check the minor levels of his Pok&#233;dex to confirm the Castform’s low energy levels as the blurb of words that subsequently came from his mouth was an earful, trying desperately to change Castform’s attacks before the last, even shouting as loud as he could.

But it was no use, the Castform was gone with paralysis as with it, Matthew’s chances. Looking on with dismay, Matthew saw the Castform register the first set of audio waves as a tremendous screech of a high-pitch hit his ears like a bus, the Pinsir squealing as it opened each individual barb in preparation for the meal ahead. Without the use of the lower draining moves, Matthew watched as the Castform glow a faint purple colour as its cranium crammed with psychic energy before failing, the light growing dimmer as Nimbus knocked itself out due to over exertion. Looking on in horror, Matthew saw the Pinsir line up another Pok&#233;mon to eat.

No. I will not let this happen Matthew thought to himself as he helplessly watched the Castform crawl dependently towards the very site of dirt he had once attempted to teleport to, Matthew’s heart sinking as if watching an injured puppy try to fight off the pain to walk to its master. With him welling up, Matthew’s eardrums began to ring as he could hear nothing but the flat line; a small beeping noise brought back to him eventually as the LCD went crazy in his pocket. Ignoring it for further purposes, Matthew heard the manic whimpering of his own Pok&#233;mon and it drove him insane. He couldn’t deal with the pain of his Pok&#233;mon, like many he was connected to them through friendship. Before he knew it, Matthew was running; his feet slamming against the ground as they brought up lose dirt, a point that wasn’t relevant to him. Closing his eyes to ignore the consequences of the Pinsir blocking it, Matthew held back one hand beside his head before throwing his whole body weight forward, a clenched fist at the end ready to stop the Pinsir with brute force.

Hearing a snap motion, Matthew took in a deep breath before he felt himself lifted from his feet, a gravitational pull surrounding him and pulling him down. With his eyes still closed, Matthew waited for the sudden rush of pain before looking for the wreckage that he knew was going to be his body, an asset that he had and wished to keep. Nothing came. Worried he might indeed even be dead, Matthew kept one eye closed as he trembled, squinting one eye open to see a brightly lit room.

So this is it. I’ve died at the ripe old age of 22. I sure hope they have Pok&#233;mon battles in heaven. he thought to himself, assured by OPM that he would be able to skate on heaven’s impeccable half pipe. Stuttering forward, Matthew’s legs got used to the sensation of walking once more, the hard stone floor below him providing a clacking sound as he staggered around, like he had just overcome a bad trip. Circling the room with angst, Matthew flashed the morning events through his mind, widening his eyes slightly at the prospects. I hope I don’t get judged on my eligibility due to that adventure he thought, laughing to himself before quietening, realizing that it indeed could be a judgemental thing to gain entrance past the pearly gates.

Within a few seconds, Matthew jumped as he turned to face a whooshing noise, a barely noticeable crack in the wall opening automatically by the presence of other being. Standing up straight, Matthew was met by a rosy smile of a woman in a chic lab coat. “Nurse Joy. You’re an angel?” he asked protruding, the tone of voice suggesting he was more than just a little confused. As the woman raised her eyebrow at his question she swiftly moved on.

“I’m sorry to say that’s the end of your Safari Zone Adventure!” A shrill voice announced to him as his head pounded like the aftermath of a drunken night out. He was hurting and it was heaven, something’s just are put away to myth and it was Matthew who was struggling to readjust. “Nimbus’s was unable to battle, activating the Pok&#233;nav’s teleportation safety feature. If you’d like to follow me back into the main lobby, your Pok&#233;mon should be treated in a matter of minutes” Wait ... what? Matthew suddenly realized that he might not have died, and if this wasn’t heaven, then he was still able to see his comrades. Beaming a smile across his face, Matthew followed the woman outside the room as a silent echo of stilettos on stone resonated through the room. Having had time to reflect, Matthew thought about ‘the one that got away’. In spite of the film, Matthew had not been a German seeking a British operative but nevertheless the pain still stung, missing out by a Pinsir by so very little was rather devastating and a Pok&#233;mon of its calibre would have surely fit into his team very nicely.

Taking a few short passages through the renovated halls of the safari zone, Matthew found himself back in the busy reception area, the sound of the crowd drowned out by a feeling of dread as he came to terms with Nimbus’ injuries, praying to all of Arcues that he may be ok. Taking a seat on the small, crimson plastic chairs they had available in the waiting room, Matthew jumped as he felt a small hand thump the back of his head. Standing upright and turning to face the person, he spotted Tiwggy; the small red-head from before his adventure began, this time apparent from his sister.

“Hey Matthew Brown! So you lost too huh?” the boy announced as he nodded his head, sighing as he thought of the prediction missed that could have been avoided had he not peaked too early. Being interrogated by the boy to find about his adventure, Matthew unwillingly relayed his battle with the Pinsir as many more mental images and worries filled his brain over the concern of Nimbus.

“Wow, your Castform took on a Pinsir!? I wonder how Susie’s fendin’, she’s still out huntin’”, the boy sighed as the thought that he was too young to get on the ferry greatly amused Matthew, and the thought of being cooped up in the reception made him shudder, the place was bad. Very bad. “I didn’t manage to catch any Pok&#233;mon but I snagged this wicked cool Safari Ball as a constellation prize!” The boy’s words brought Matthew down to earth as he saw the green camo-ball that was the safari ball flashed in front of his eyes. Despite losing, Twiggy was chipper and Matthew couldn’t fault him for that. After getting out his Pok&#233;dex, Matthew laid back with the MP3 section and started to listen to Mumford and Sons, the first song being ’Little Lion Man’.

***

“Matthew Brown?” his thoughts were soon recollected after just two songs, the facilities here being top notch despite the busy delay. “Nimbus is fighting fit! If you’d like to collect his Pokeball there’s a ferry schedule over at the Information Desk”. Walking over to the reception desk, Matthew was handed his Pok&#233;balls back as he saw Nimbus’ cheery face through the translucent pod on the top of the pok&#233;ball. Seeing Twiggy fall back a few paces behind, Matthew turned to leave before a voice called him back.

“Oh and I almost forgot! You did capture a Pok&#233;mon, right?” Matthew soon remembered the capture of the pesky Cherubi as he nodded, a furious tapping sound flooded his ears as Nurse Joy typed into the computer. “Yep that’s right, a Lv.3 Cherubi, female I believe. It’s housed in a Safari Ball; you can take it if you like. We often get trainers, who don’t have enough room to look after another Pok&#233;mon, in which case they’re released back into the preservation. What do you say?”

Seeing the shoot of the muddy green ball housing the shrub in it, Matthew considered the options, the Cherubi not stacking up to the loss of a Pinsir but the Pok&#233;mon was for lack of cuteness. “Cherubi!? Cool! Hey, Matthew, if you’re not bothered about that Pok&#233;mon, I’ll trade ya for my Safari Ball… I haven’t seen these anywhere in the shops, I swear I’m not connin’ ya! How about it?” Putting a finger to his chin, Matthew thought for a while before smiling, nodding before grabbing the pok&#233;ball between his index and middle finger before flicking it towards Twiggy.

With the boy gleefully taking the pok&#233;ball in open hands, Matthew collected his Camo Ball before pocketing it in the pok&#233;ball section of his backpack, a Psychic, Flying, Cherish and Dive ball sat comfortably within. Stuffing it into his bag and closing the zips, Matthew rushed out of the busy doors to be met by a wind of fresh air. Spiking his hair up, Matthew withdrew a pok&#233;ball from his belt before throwing it into the open, an impressive Aerodactyl stood before him in Zero.

“I’m not taking that bloody ferry again, it’s too slow.” He explained with a grin as Zero roared, happy to be out of its pok&#233;ball as it crouched for its trainer to embark on its back. Holding on to the wings, Matthew felt a sudden rush of G-Force as the flying-type shot off, the views of Lyzania getting smaller and smaller as he waved his adventure off. “I’ll be back. One day” he added ....

Hayward: Whilst the pup didn’t seem all that cut out to be a sheep dog, she’d managed to bully a few of the swaggering sheep back into the marching line. As the sea of yellow wool gently makes its course toward the pen, it seems about time to move onto gathering the fabric. Hyneo woofs affectionately as you itch the back of his droopy ears, hurriedly hopping back to the job as you amble downhill to the oak stable. The little pooch had done you proud, but now it was Keo’s time to shine! With the doorway crammed with shaggy Mareep, you hurdle over one of the waist-high gates, noticing the bottomless auburn sacks seamlessly empty besides a few trimmings of blonde. You ruffle open one of the sacks, the carroty crustacean clicking his pincers excitedly as he scuttled over to his first customer. You wince at the thought of several jolts of electricity flowing through the bony water-type, but it looks as though Krabby was avoiding just a disaster with extra precision. He takes wide Cuts around the outer thicks of the yellow wool. With a few inches sheared, his snips grow further precise, taking quick Cuts with little Fury intended. At this point, the Mareep is looking considerably slender, the fiddler crab adding his final touches with an X-Scissor. Keo grins with a glint of pride as though he’d uncovered a hidden endowment of his, yourself and Medeo being sure to pick up the shags of blonde fibre surrounding the naked Pokémon. Things start falling into place as Krabby quickly makes his way round the herd, the sacks beginning to fill while the amount of shaggy livestock declined. Yuri helps out too, carrying out the bald Mareep with care, which quickly declutters the crowded pen. An hour passes and you wipe the drops of sweat from your forehead, the cluster of sacks full to the brim with wool. Keo grins despite the sparks of electricity crackling up his limbs, Hyneo still outdoors barking rowdily at the shaven sheep for nothing other than her own entertainment.

“Your teamwork skills are excellent!” Yuri exclaims, impressed enough by your strong bonds, “now we have a few hours before the sun meets the eagle and another job too. You may consider lowering your number to just you and Medeo though. Hyneo is a bit too playful for where we’re headed, and as for Keo, someone may mistake him for a dish!” She giggles to herself again, which would be quite awkward if you where still out of the know. Nevertheless you recall two of your helpers and follow Yuri up a new trail. Your sneakers scuff against the gravelly path and you can only assume the rising sun had dried up the patches of morning dew. You pass through the more rustic patches of land, admiring the autumn leaves barely dangling from the terrific oaks, the golden ambiance being somewhat similar to National Park of the Johto rejoin. A few natives cross your path, nodding courteously at Yuri yet sending you the funniest looks... perhaps there’d been rumour mill had been busy in your absence? The young monk finally grinds to a halt, stood affront the paper door of a whitewash architect. She slides the entrance apart, the open foyer giving a heavenly whiff of freshly baked bread. You follow her into the structure, passing a few corridors before reaching a pristine kitchen. A few workers were busily striding up and down, sporting white bandanas around their head as they whisked their bowls and chopped their fish. You couldn’t help getting the feeling you’d be washing pots for the next few hours, but after a few words with the oldest of the staff, Yuri finally approaches you with an optimistic smile.

“The head chef is very worked up. He’s been up all night trying to prepare a dish to impress the noblemen, to no avail. It appears Kaito claimed his food was bland and lacked character. The chef hasn’t been the same since”, Yuri explains on a rather sympathetic tone, “but this is where you and Medeo come in. With your awareness of other cultures, he believes you could prepare something that Kaito has never tried before. And I’m sure that’ll wipe the smug look off of my brother’s face too. How about it? We don’t have much time”. The Chinese girl looks into your eyes rather desperately, driven by the idea of shutting her smug sibling up. Considering you may have felt out of depth, she grabs your hand, heaving open a heavy, silver door. She escorts you into the room, a large pantry which held a frosty chill. Shelves and shelves of produce where stacked about the food cupboard; poultry, beef cuts, vegetables, the works! There were several spice racks scattered about, and a few sacks of rice slouched in a corner. You could only guess the amount of ingredients crammed into the pantry; Medeo looks just about ready to chow down as he rubs his hands hungrily. Before you can even have your say you find yourself surrounded by workers ready to follow yours and Medeo’s lead. It was time you gave Kaito a dish he’d never forget, whether you had revenge in mind was another matter all together.

The name of the game is cuisine. You’ll have three noblemen to prepare for: Kaito, Sensei and Mr.Hwan. Let’s start with Kaito, he prefers his food spicy and Dynamic. Take that however you want to, but the outcome of the food you prepare will have an effect on your adventure in the long run. What you have to do is take me through what ingredients you’re using, and a step by step guide of how you’re preparing the meal. All you have to prepare is a main course. You’ll have an unlimited supply of any and every ingredient and cooking aide you can think of - be creative and imaginative and please use online recipe books if it helps. Once you’ve prepared Kaito’s meal, I’ll update you on how it goes, and then you’ll move onto the next nobleman. You can use your Pokémon to help with tasks too if you want, the other workers will only be observing and won’t be helping.

Great update, Emp. I've never had a challenge like this before. Anyways, concerning the recipe at the end of my reply, I attempted to use Poke-earth ingredients whenever possible. I did, however, include the real world equivalents, just for the sake of clarification. -H

Holding a bulging auburn sack filled to the brim with soft golden wool, the trainer Benjamin Hale watched in bemusement as his Krabby companion Keo finished trimming the last of the Mareep flock with an extravagant flourish. “Not bad, mate!” The boy exclaimed with a grin. “I never knew you were such a good barber. Maybe we should set up shop in Goldenrod and replace those overpriced brothers!” Keo beamed with pride. He knew he had done his job well, but at the boy’s praise however, he quickly tried to hide his self-satisfaction. He didn’t want his Poke-brethren to see him excelling at a skill that could be considered less than macho.

Ben and his partners were marooned in Lyanzia, waiting for their teammate Medeo to recuperate from his failed teleportation attempt, killing time by helping the village girl Yuri finish up her daily chores. “Your teamwork skills are excellent!” she suddenly gushed, looking on, clearly amazed by the cooperation Ben’s companions had demonstrated in completing their tasks.

“Now we have a few hours before the sun meets the eagle and another job, too. You may consider lowering your number to just you and Sumeo though. Hyneo is a bit too playful for where we’re headed, and as for Keo, someone may mistake him for a dish!” The dark-haired village girl giggled to herself again, causing both Ben and Keo to sweatdrop at her carefree attitude. However, Ben did as she suggested and quickly recalled the river crab and wolf pup to their Poke Balls.

Heading back to the tiny village, Yuri lead Ben and the Makuhita Sumeo along a new trail. The muffled footfalls of Ben’s white adidas running shoes on the gravel path mixed with the sounds of the autumnal countryside as they strolled along leisurely. Surveying his surroundings, Ben spied a towering oak tree, its leaves clinging desperately to their life source, and couldn’t help but admire their determination in spite of insurmountable odds. In just a few short weeks, he mused, winter would arrive and most of those leaves would be gone and blown away, never to be seen again, yet the leaves refused to give up. Momentarily lost in thought, Ben barely noticed the sly subtle looks he received from the few villagers they encountered on their trek back to the tiny secluded mountain settlement.

After walking for some time, Yuri finally stopped in front of a battered building and slid open the paper door. The warm delicious aroma of freshly baked bread immediately greeted Ben and Sumeo, wrapping them in its tender embrace and beckoning them inside. Following the dark-haired village girl, Ben and Sumeo passed a few corridors before finally reaching a bustling kitchen where white bandana-ed workers were busily whisking bowls and chopping fish in preparation for the day’s main meal. Seeing the lively workers and the vast number of utensils they were using, Ben suddenly supposed that Yuri had brought him there to be the Chief-Cleaner-Upper. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this, mate,” he muttered, glancing nervously at Sumeo. He wondered if the portly pugilist had come to the same conclusion, however Sumeo simply put on a dopey grin and hungrily licked its lips. The mouth-watering smells, mixed with the sight of an entire room full of food, was almost more than he could bear, and his top-knot wiggled back-and-forth excitedly. Ben sweatdropped and groaned in frustration, wondering if his gluttonous partner would ever think about something other than food.

Leaving Ben and Sumeo alone for a moment, Yuri crossed the room and spoke briefly with the oldest of the workers. A moment later she returned with a smile. She pulled the boy and the pudgy little Makuhita aside and briefly outlined their next chore. “The head chef is very worked up. He’s been up all night trying to prepare a dish to impress the noblemen, to no avail. It appears Kaito claimed his food was bland and lacked character. The chef hasn’t been the same since,” she explained sympathetically. “But this is where you and Sumeo come in. With your awareness of other cultures, he believes you could prepare something that Kaito has never tried before. And I’m sure that’ll wipe the smug look off of my brother’s face too. How about it? We don’t have much time.”

While the dark-haired village girl looked on expectantly, Ben thought hard about the Yuri’s request. It was clear to him that the girl wanted nothing more than to put a stop to her brother’s incessant boasting once and for all. Without warning, she suddenly grabbed his forearm and half-dragged him into a large, nearby pantry. Too impatient to wait for the his answer, she was trying to convince him of the choice she wanted him to make. Sumeo trotted along behind, his stubby legs moving in a blur as he tried to keep pace with his trainer and the overly-enthusiastic village girl.

The shelves of the frosty pantry were stocked with every kind of ingredient imaginable and Ben heard his chubby companion let out an awestruck gasp of admiration as it finally waddled into the storeroom. Sumeo was sure he had died and gone to heaven. Rubbing his hands together greedily, he quickly scanned the pantry and reached for the nearest snack. Before the Guts Pokemon could grab his treat though, a small crowd of workers suddenly surrounded the threesome, startling him and Ben.

It was clear to Ben that the kitchen workers had been ordered there by Yuri and were now awaiting the his culinary commands. Dragging a hand through his short brown hair, Ben realized he didn’t have much of a choice and thought hard to remember a spicy, dynamic dish he had eaten that would impress the noblemen. After a moment of thought, Ben reached into his courier bag and pulled out an apron and a tall white toque. As he put the two items on, he turned to Sumeo and outlined his plan. “Alright mate, look sharp now! We’ve got our work cut out for us here in the kitchen! Mom’s Cinnabar Volcano Burgers aren’t going to be impressive enough for these village Noblemen. We’d better go with a Spicy Vegetable Stir Fry instead!” Sumeo agreed, nodding as Ben went over the recipe.

“First, we’ll need to warm up a wok over high heat. Then we’ll add ˝ a tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 seeded, finely chopped Touga Berry(jalapeno chili pepper). Next we’ll rotate the wok to coat the sides, add a teaspoon of gingerroot for flavor, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.”

Nodding again, Sumeo listened patiently as Ben continued. “After that, we’ll have to add approximately 7.5 ounces of Tiny Mushrooms(mushrooms), 7.5 ounces of baby Cornn(corn), 4 ounces of sliced bamboo shoots, ˝ of a medium-sized Chople Berry(Red Bell Pepper), ˝ a cup of winter Rindo Berries(Chinese Snow Peas), and ˝ a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh cilantro. For some kick, we’ll add ˝ of a diced Tamato Berry(tomato) and ˝ of a diced Occa Berry(okra).” Sumeo grew dizzy at the long list of ingredients, but Ben waved him off and picked up where he left off.

“We’ll stir fry everything until it’s crisp-tender. It should only take around 2 minutes. When that’s done, we’ll finish off the dish by stirring in 2 cups of shredded cabbage and ˝ a teaspoon of Spelon-Berry-Puree (chili) mixed with sliced Niniku Berries(garlic). It will be hard to beat that recipe for Spiciness!”

Pikagod: In a nutshell, you’d been faced with a twin you didn’t know you had, and now you’d be walking miles in his shoes in search of a powerful artefact. There was a dark twist in the foggy clouds above, blocking the starry night’s sky and downing a chilling impression something frightening was in the works. You bow your head, watching as the moonlight glittered against the speedy waterway. An unsafe drop would lead to a tribal canoe, barely roped against a stable trunk and suspended by the water reefs. Despite the fact your blistered feet had about enough of walking, the idea of a leisurely raft seemed to pique the hidden sailor within. With that another Pokeball leaves your hand and plops into the river, sinking out of view. The dark riverbank suddenly flickers a dazzling white, a bluish manta ray swimming against the fast current, skimming across the surface as though he hadn’t had a good swim in a while. His antennae prickle upward as he listens intently to your orders, Zoran bracing himself for a technique he’d be troubled to pull off. The Wicked Pokémon crosses his arms as he light-footedly hops onto a branch with a good vantage of the wide canal whilst Ray-Ray leaps from the surface with his beady eyes scrunched with determination. Suddenly! A cyan sphere bursts from his maw, the Pulse of Water spinning rapidly in place. Mantine quickly dips back in the water, with the sphere still suspended above the river bank. Zoran grits his wooden face in concentration, his fan-like hands glowing with an icy tint. Wafting the appendages rapidly, the Shiftry manages to muster up a blustery Blizzard which downs against the Water Pulse right on queue. The two attacks bond together, splattering against the steep drop and creating a frozen stairwell to the canoe in the blink of an eye. The bridge looks rickety to say the least, and the fact white froths of water were pumping against it cause you to scuttle down it before it had a chance to collapse. You’re lucky enough to make the five-foot scramble, trying to keep your balance as you gripped the sides of the wooden boat whilst the icy bridge behind hastily crumbed in less than a few seconds. Zoran drops out of the tree, landing safely on the nose of the tribal canoe without losing momentum. With Ray-Ray’s shadow still visible beneath the water’s surface, you try your hand at untying the tight knots keeping the boat still. Sooner had you unravelled one knot, Zoran slashes the other, pushing the boat into action for a wobbly departure. Gripping the sides with all your might, the wooden raft speeds down the white rapids of the jungle’s unsteady terrain, giving you little time to absorb the surrounding environment. A few greyish Zubat flutter past but you’re all too preoccupied in steadying the canoe at every turn, the thought of crashing into the jagged rock formations at the foot of every cascade sending you on high-alert. After one of the most hectic five minutes of your life, you find the hazardous rapids subside into wider waterways with a gentle current. The manta ray leaps a few feet out of the water, reciting his name and performing an arch over your kayak. In any case both your comrades where out of harm's way. Sailing at a slower pace gives you a better view of the backdrop; the riverbank had become marshier, with thick mossy shrubbery layering against the murky shores. Trees branches snaked their way from one side of the broad river to the other, a few snowy white Noctowl sending you a hypnotising gaze from above with their ruby eyes. A family of purplish Wooper where snoozing on the outskirts, and with all natural wildlife taking a shadow form you could only wonder how you’d managed to avoid an attack for so long... perhaps you’d thought too soon! A few splashes down the course of the waterway sends Ray-Ray on high alert; coaxing him into circling the canoe protectively. Suddenly the unsettling glow of dozens of red dots cause you to took your arms into the Kayak. *snap!* A few of the fish jet forward to the manta’s surprise, taking sizable a chunk out of the canoe! A few punctures in the ride cause it to slowly begin filling with water. Warily gazing outward you discover the waters to be infested with Carvana! About six where harassing your Mantine whilst the rest took their pick at your boat! It looked as though you were in trouble!

What will you do?

With Ray-Ray and Zoran's Water Pulse and Blizzard making a nice, if somewhat rickety and probably unstable, bridge for the trainer and his pokemon to cross. Getting down the staircase/bridge, Karmas went as fast as he could and was lucky that he did. He only just made it off before the bridge began to crumble away into nothingness. Getting onto the kayak Karmas started to untie one of the knots as Zoran jumped down from a tree branch onto the small boat. Karmas let out a sigh of relief when he finally managed to untie the knot and Zoran merely slashed at the other piece of rope keeping the boat still.

"Thanks," said Karmas, as he gripped onto the sides of the boat for dear life.

The boat sped down the rapids, going so fast that the scenery was a mere blur of nondescript shapes and colours. Granted a few Zubat did happen to fly past, but Karmas was a bit more concerned with turning the boat and not smashing into sharp pointy rocks of doom. However after five minutes of Karmas screaming 'I'M GOING TO DIE!" the rapids subsided, leaving the trio in a gentle current. Realising that he hadn't actually seen Ray-Ray at all in those five minuted, the trainer frantically looked around for the Mantine and was relieved when he saw the manta ray jump over the kayak. Now that he knew where his pokemon was, the trainer looked around at the scenery, something that he couldn't do during the death trip. He saw several white Noctowl fly past, with a family of purple Wooper snoozing. With all of nature taking on a shadow form, Karmas just couldn't stop wondering why he hadn't been attacked yet. However, the trainer might have though too soon, a few splashes down the river making Ray-Ray circle the boat protectively. Suddenly dozens of red dots appeared, making Karmas bring his arms into the kayak and just in time. Snap! Several fish managed to get around Ray-Ray and take a couple of chunks out of the boat, with water filling in from the puncture holes. Looking out into the water Karmas saw that the river was infested with Carvanha, and six of them were harassing Ray-Ray!

"Ray-Ray, you need to beat these Carvanha! Start off with a Signal Beam then use Swift and finish off with another Signal Beam! Zoran I want you to use Razor Leaf on the Carvanha and then use a Twister to pull the Carvanha out of the water and finish off with another Razor Leaf!"

Hayward: Sporting a wok and some particularly spicy ingredients, you decide to kick start your cooking challenge with a vegetable stir fry. You slide the bowlish pan atop of a large hob, twisting an undersized knob on the stove to full which welcomes the flickering noise of ignition. Having listened intently to you orders, the chubby sumo takes it upon himself to gather the ingredients, stumbling in with a heavy barrel of vegetable oil in one hand and a jar of reddish Berries which made your eyes swelter just looking at. You delegate the fighting type a task of pouring a couple of drops of oil onto the wok whilst you paid close attention to the Touga Berry. Twisting the jar open with your good arm welcomes a fiery aroma, a blazing heat burning within the chilli. Dicing it into small pieces, you sprinkle the ingredient into the pan which was making a sizzling noise. It’s not long before you find Sumeo running in and out with jars of food and a cheeky grin, passing you the fresh Mushrooms, Cornn, Chople, Rindo, Tamato and Occas. You pay careful attention in measuring the ingredients, throwing them into the wok as you go along. At this point, Sumeo grabs a big wooden spoon, and the two of you take turns stirring it until a satisfying aroma fills the air. You scoop two bowls of cabbage into the pan whilst Sumeo adds a squirt of spicy puree. Sprinkling some clumps of Niniku Berry leaves you with a pretty tasty looking stir fry. It seemed a custom for chefs to taste their food, so Sumeo quickly takes his spoon to the steaming medley of vegetables and exclaims in approval! It looked as though your work was done, so you shuffle the cooking onto a dish, ready to be served to the swaggering Kaito.

The name of the game is cuisine. You’ll have three noblemen to prepare for: Kaito, Sensei and Mr.Hwan. Let’s continue with Sensei, he prefers his food Sweet and Traditional. Take that however you want to, but the outcome of the food you prepare will have an effect on your adventure in the long run. What you have to do is take me through what ingredients you’re using, and a step by step guide of how you’re preparing the meal. All you have to prepare is a main course. You’ll have an unlimited supply of any and every ingredient and cooking aide you can think of - be creative and imaginative and please use online recipe books if it helps. Once you’ve prepared Kaito’s meal, I’ll update you on how it goes, and then you’ll move onto the next nobleman. You can use your Pokémon to help with tasks too if you want, the other workers will only be observing and won’t be helping.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush together, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the occasional “ding”. Sensei instantly nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his belly enthusiastically, he looked quite cheery compared to his counterparts - and didn’t quite have a warrior’s figure.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. Wit the three chatting, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Kaito San; Vegetable Stir Fry”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as Kaito sticks a pair of chop sticks into the bowl, swirling it around to grab a mixture of crisp vegetables. He pulls the chopsticks out of his mouth, slowly chewing with his face scrunched in curiosity. Sensations of flavour enter the apprentice’s tongue, with the peppers being the most overwhelming. You notice his eyes puff up slightly; perhaps the Touga Berry was too spicy after all? He finishes chewing and drops the utensils.

“Chef, I see through my criticism you have improved. Next time I expect even better”, Kaito nods subtly, and it isn’t long before he’s chugging from one of the large jugs of water, perhaps too cocky to admit he found it too spicy. The chef laughs nervously, catching the boy’s attention. Sensei seems to sigh to himself once more, which makes you question why the old man had chose to mentor such a brat.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly.

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s agression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up.

to be continued... please go back and prepare Sensei’s meal

The Reverse World

Pikagod: You find yourself tucked into the centre of the canoe, flinching at the noise of vicious snaps on the outskirts of the murky water. Ray-Ray attempts to dodge the platoon of hungry Carvahna, but it isn’t long before a few nip at his tail and halt his getaway. You volley some fast orders to the manta, bearing in mind that the piranha would make quick work of the wooden boat if given a chance. Zoran also follows suit, hopping up from the kayak onto one of the several mossy branches snaking from one end of the lake to the other. You barely manage to poke your head over the side, the part-flying type ripping his way through the swarm of nippers and leaping into the air. Like a bomber plane, the stingray bombards the lake with a few zaps of his Signal Beam before dipping back into a quieter sanction of water. The Shadow fishes bark in frustration, a few of them scuffed by the attack. The school of Carvahna leave Ray-Ray with little time, the stronger of the pack managing to keep up with the manta and exercise some painful Bites. A few of the shadow types cling onto either of his wings with their powerful jaws, gnawing sharply as he cries in pain. Zoran is alerted to this, lifting up his leafy arms and slashing them down in an x-motion. Suddenly, several Leafy shuriken spin forward, Razoring into the three fish who where attached to Mantine. The trio yelp but keep hold of their grip, the stingray finding it hard to wriggle loose. He flounders out of the water again, unable to stay airborne with the added baggage. The ray then shoots a flurry of glittery stars spur outward, Swiftly meandering like homing missiles and splashing against the Carvahna wrestled to his body. One of the shadowy kippers looses its grip, plopping back into the greenish waters and joining its school. Mantine nosedives back into the water, Shiftry beginning to waft his limbs to produce a gust of wind. The airstream hits the water, creating a small cyclone with a purplish hue. Growing into a full-blown Twister, the draconic attack begins to reel in Carvhana by the five! About a dozen of the nasty Pokémon hurtle through the whirlpool, crashing into each over uncoordinatedly with a few of the weaker ones taking a big hit. As the Twister subsides, your allies join forces in releasing a joint flurry of Razor Leaf and Signal Beam – the manta dealing some decent damage to a few of the dizzy fish and the ninja managing to unfasten one of the Carvahna from Mantine’s underbelly. Whilst taking on a whole school of piranhas was an impressive feat, not one of the dozen had fallen yet, and one of the stragglers still had a firm seize of Ray-Ray’s tail.

Hayward: Sporting a wok and some particularly spicy ingredients, you decide to kick start your cooking challenge with a vegetable stir fry. You slide the bowlish pan atop of a large hob, twisting an undersized knob on the stove to full which welcomes the flickering noise of ignition. Having listened intently to you orders, the chubby sumo takes it upon himself to gather the ingredients, stumbling in with a heavy barrel of vegetable oil in one hand and a jar of reddish Berries which made your eyes swelter just looking at. You delegate the fighting type a task of pouring a couple of drops of oil onto the wok whilst you paid close attention to the Touga Berry. Twisting the jar open with your good arm welcomes a fiery aroma, a blazing heat burning within the chilli. Dicing it into small pieces, you sprinkle the ingredient into the pan which was making a sizzling noise. It’s not long before you find Sumeo running in and out with jars of food and a cheeky grin, passing you the fresh Mushrooms, Cornn, Chople, Rindo, Tamato and Occas. You pay careful attention in measuring the ingredients, throwing them into the wok as you go along. At this point, Sumeo grabs a big wooden spoon, and the two of you take turns stirring it until a satisfying aroma fills the air. You scoop two bowls of cabbage into the pan whilst Sumeo adds a squirt of spicy puree. Sprinkling some clumps of Niniku Berry leaves you with a pretty tasty looking stir fry. It seemed a custom for chefs to taste their food, so Sumeo quickly takes his spoon to the steaming medley of vegetables and exclaims in approval! It looked as though your work was done, so you shuffle the cooking onto a dish, ready to be served to the swaggering Kaito.

The name of the game is cuisine. You’ll have three noblemen to prepare for: Kaito, Sensei and Mr.Hwan. Let’s continue with Sensei, he prefers his food Sweet and Traditional. Take that however you want to, but the outcome of the food you prepare will have an effect on your adventure in the long run. What you have to do is take me through what ingredients you’re using, and a step by step guide of how you’re preparing the meal. All you have to prepare is a main course. You’ll have an unlimited supply of any and every ingredient and cooking aide you can think of - be creative and imaginative and please use online recipe books if it helps. Once you’ve prepared Kaito’s meal, I’ll update you on how it goes, and then you’ll move onto the next nobleman. You can use your Pok&#233;mon to help with tasks too if you want, the other workers will only be observing and won’t be helping.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush together, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the occasional “ding”. Sensei instantly nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his belly enthusiastically, he looked quite cheery compared to his counterparts - and didn’t quite have a warrior’s figure.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. Wit the three chatting, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Kaito San; Vegetable Stir Fry”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as Kaito sticks a pair of chop sticks into the bowl, swirling it around to grab a mixture of crisp vegetables. He pulls the chopsticks out of his mouth, slowly chewing with his face scrunched in curiosity. Sensations of flavour enter the apprentice’s tongue, with the peppers being the most overwhelming. You notice his eyes puff up slightly; perhaps the Touga Berry was too spicy after all? He finishes chewing and drops the utensils.

“Chef, I see through my criticism you have improved. Next time I expect even better”, Kaito nods subtly, and it isn’t long before he’s chugging from one of the large jugs of water, perhaps too cocky to admit he found it too spicy. The chef laughs nervously, catching the boy’s attention. Sensei seems to sigh to himself once more, which makes you question why the old man had chose to mentor such a brat.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly.

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s agression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up.

to be continued... please go back and prepare Sensei’s meal

In the kitchen of a whitewash building nestled in the mountains of the southern island nation of Lyanazia, the trainer Benjamin Hale put the finishing touches on the Spicy Vegetable Stir Fry he had prepared for Kaito and paused to steal a quick whiff of the completed dish’s savory aroma. At just that moment though, the servers hurried into the room, grabbed the meal Ben had prepared, and like an Arcanine using Extremespeed, hustled it out to the main banquet hall. Curious, Ben followed them at a distance.

Poking his head through the slightly-opened swinging doors, Ben watched as three Chinese gentlemen glided into the room from outside. Ben recognized two of the men instantly, Master Sensei and Kaito, but the third he wasn’t sure about. He couldn’t recall having met the rotund gentleman earlier, but supposed he was the dinner party’s third guest, Mr. Hwan. Watching them take their places at the table, Ben marveled at their contrasting appearances and wondered what was the basis of their connection. Master Sensei saw Ben and nodded politely in the boy’s direction. Ben returned the silent greeting with a small wave. Nearby, a Kricketot accompanied a female musician in creating a beautiful tune that mixed with the pleasant aromas from the kitchen to give the low-lit dining room a welcoming ambiance.

Yuri filled the men’s cups and greeted her brother playfully while the head chef brought Kaito his meal. “... and for you Kaito-san; Vegetable Stir Fry,” he announced, beaming in anticipation, wondering how the man would respond. Ben strained his head to try to catch a glimpse of Kaito’s reaction, too, hoping that a successful dish might help to soften the antagonistic man’s attitude towards him.

Kaito ate slowly, clearly savoring each bite, and Ben noticed that the man’s eyes began to water as he bit into the various spicy berries mixed into the dish. “Chef, I see through my criticism you have improved. Next time I expect even better,” Kaito remarked, nodding subtly, but reaching for a large jug of water nonetheless. Ben grinned, realizing the stern man had indeed enjoyed the meal.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish,” the chef suddenly remarked, and Ben saw Kaito’s eyes grew wide in surprise. “It was in fact, the traveler, who made this dish,” the chef continued. “He’s actually a very good co-”

Kaito however had glanced around the room and spied Ben peeking through the kitchen door. Dropping his chopsticks in disgust, he exclaimed contemptuously, “That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you?!” The stern man jumped to his feet. Nervous, the chef backpedaled quickly. Ben’s shoulders slumped in disappointment as he thought that maybe it had been a bad idea to help out after all. He even momentarily contemplated trying to make a hasty getaway through the kitchen’s backdoor. However, the other two diners appeared to pay Kaito no mind, and after a moment of thought, Ben realized he was in this thing pretty deep, and it was probably too late to turn back now. Besides, Yuri was counting on him, too, and he didn’t want to disappoint her. Retreating to the kitchen, Ben put on a determined expression and resolved to prove himself to Kaito one way or the other.

Ben knew that Master Sensei had requested something Sweet and Traditional and he dragged a hand through his short brown hair as he thought hard to remember a suitable recipe. After a moment of contemplation, he snapped his fingers, settling on a Mixed Fruit Salad. In order to make it, he knew he would have to start out with a large, ripe Watmel Berry. The exceedingly sweet berry was known to grow in excess of 20 inches in diameter, and Ben figured it would make a suitable, edible "bowl." He planned on cutting the enormous Berry in half, then hollowing it out, and using it to hold all of the other tasty ingredients he was planning to add.

Once the “bowls” were ready, Ben planned to add some creamy yogurt made from fresh MooMoo Milk, then top it off with bits of crunchy granola, four teaspoons of Sinnoh’s finest Sweet Honey, and a mixture of the juiciest, mouth-watering-est fruit he could find, starting with the popular Magost Berry. The boy knew that the small pink berries were well-loved by Pokemon for their dreamy sweetness, so he figured adding a generous helping would be a good place to start.

After that, Ben planned to dice up two of the curviest Mago Berries he could find, then mix their pieces together with a pint of freshly plucked Bluk Berries, eight plump Grepa Berries, and the slices of three peeled Pecha Berries. He would then add the fruit mixture, along with the MooMoo Milk Yogurt, and granola to the Watmel "bowls." Finally, if the pantry happened to have any of the super-rare Micle Berries lying around, Ben hoped to sprinkle in a handful of the tiny, oblong green berries. They were known to increase the sweet taste of foods they were eaten with, and he figured it couldn’t hurt.

His recipe in mind, Ben set about preparing his second dish…

* * *

OoC: Emp, thanks for the speedy update. It has been a fun challenge trying to come up with interesting recipes that might actually taste good for my past two replies. I can't wait to see what the next dish will have to be. Again, I tried to primarily use Poke-earth foods. For ease of reference, here is the recipe I’d like to follow, if I may:

.:Procedure:.
1. Wash the Berries with soap and hot water, then rinse to prevent e. coli and salmonella
2. Lop off the bottom of the Watmel Berry and scoop out the seeds to make a “bowl”
3. In a separate dish, mix together Magost, Mago, Bluk, Grepa, and Pecha fruits
4. Fill the Watmel “bowl” with MooMoo Milk yogurt. Top with fruit mixture, granola, and Sweet Honey
5. Sprinkle on Micle Berries, if available

Music Box: Whilst trespassing wasn’t an activity you enjoyed, the fantasy budding from the flowery hedgehog manages to cloud your better judgement coaxing you into stepping foot in the fairytale bastion. With that you set your sights on the carpeted stairwell with Jurasic and Morph following suite. It made sense you’d reach the pinnacle of the tower by following any and every flight of steps you met, so you hastily wipe the muck off of your sneakers before trailing up the threaded carpet. Beautiful stain-glass murals coloured the foot of the grand hall, the sun’s rays creating a Technicolor reflection against the scarlet throw. You admire the heavenly rainbow without getting too distracted or slowing your pace. Ambling up the flight of stairs you keep your wits about you, the idea of running into a landlord putting a thorn in your side, especially given the track of muddy dino-prints your reptilian comrade had set. About thirty minutes pass, at which point you’re panting for breath given you’d climbed about seven stories already. The same can’t be said for the T-Rex ahead, whose impressive sense of smell seemed to be doing you well for a change as he seemed to know which corridor to follow at every turn. You meet an open door leading to a spiral staircase which didn’t seem all that glamorous compared to the rest of the castle. Instead of the whitewash walls it sported a greyish medieval hue, the floors made of old oak rather than luxurious marble. Still, Jurasic snorted franticly at the door, his hunting instincts insisting the flowery legendary was ahead. With that you take lead, travelling up the spiral stairwell which would match that of the tallest tower... and boy did it live up to its description! Whilst you’d been animated just a few minutes ago, by the time you’d reached the top each step was harder and harder to climb. Staggering up the last few steps felt like a hike up Terror Mountain – thank goodness that was over. You open another oak door, welcomed to a warm room faintly lit by a dozen or so candles. There wasn’t much to look at, a few trinkets scattered in the crevices, but this attic looked like it served as nothing more than a storeroom for the goddess’s old junk. Suddenly! You spot the Shaymin at the corner of your eye, sat on a dusty old dresser trying to open a heavy brown book with his nose. You gently walk to its side, it doesn’t run away for a change. Noticing it struggle to open the hardback, you blow the dust off of its front. Fizzby Tails for Grizzly Kids. You turn the front page, a tingle of magic running up your arm giving you shivers. It looked like a contents page, with three titles accompanied by an animated illustration. The first story was Hansel and Gretel, accompanied by a drawing of two chubby Lickitung sporting green lederhosen where leisurely skipping through a forest, the one with blonde pigtails dropping bread crumbs in her wake. The next one was titled Jack and the Beanstalk, beside it a Riolu dressed in rags was climbing up a giant stalk which seemed to snake all the way up to the clouds. The third, Goldie Locks, pictured with a Smoochum making a mess of someone’s home and scoffing its weight down in porridge. Shaymin meeps enthusiastically, it looked as though he wanted you to read him a story, but which one piques your interest?

What will you do?

After finally reaching the top, Tim opened the larger oak door, feeling rather relieved his long treck was over. Looking over, the exhausted trainer noticed that Jurasic wasn't doing as well as he was just a few minutes ago. "Poor little guy," Tim huffed, "Why don't you take a nice rest." he suggested while secretly wishing he could do the same. The young dinosaur, despite being curious about the Shaymin, was feeling too tired from the stairs to keep going from now and peacfully went back into his pokeball. Little Morph chirpped to Tim, pointing out Shaymin who seemed to be struggling to open the book. Tim approached, half expecting Shaymin to run away, but this time the little legend didn't flee. Suprised by this, Tim thought that maybe Shaymin wanted him to open the large book titled Fizzby Tails for Grizzly Kids. The curious trainer opened the book, feeling the magic trickle from the book to his arms. It became apparent to Tim that there was something different about this book... it wasn't normal. As he opened the book, Tim quickly took interest in the tale Hansel and Gretel. "I remember my mother used to read this tale to me all the time when I was little..." he reminisced. "How about we read Hansel and Gretel? I think you'll enjoy it Shaymin..." Tim said warmly to the hedgehog.

Pikagod: You find yourself tucked into the centre of the canoe, flinching at the noise of vicious snaps on the outskirts of the murky water. Ray-Ray attempts to dodge the platoon of hungry Carvahna, but it isn’t long before a few nip at his tail and halt his getaway. You volley some fast orders to the manta, bearing in mind that the piranha would make quick work of the wooden boat if given a chance. Zoran also follows suit, hopping up from the kayak onto one of the several mossy branches snaking from one end of the lake to the other. You barely manage to poke your head over the side, the part-flying type ripping his way through the swarm of nippers and leaping into the air. Like a bomber plane, the stingray bombards the lake with a few zaps of his Signal Beam before dipping back into a quieter sanction of water. The Shadow fishes bark in frustration, a few of them scuffed by the attack. The school of Carvahna leave Ray-Ray with little time, the stronger of the pack managing to keep up with the manta and exercise some painful Bites. A few of the shadow types cling onto either of his wings with their powerful jaws, gnawing sharply as he cries in pain. Zoran is alerted to this, lifting up his leafy arms and slashing them down in an x-motion. Suddenly, several Leafy shuriken spin forward, Razoring into the three fish who where attached to Mantine. The trio yelp but keep hold of their grip, the stingray finding it hard to wriggle loose. He flounders out of the water again, unable to stay airborne with the added baggage. The ray then shoots a flurry of glittery stars spur outward, Swiftly meandering like homing missiles and splashing against the Carvahna wrestled to his body. One of the shadowy kippers looses its grip, plopping back into the greenish waters and joining its school. Mantine nosedives back into the water, Shiftry beginning to waft his limbs to produce a gust of wind. The airstream hits the water, creating a small cyclone with a purplish hue. Growing into a full-blown Twister, the draconic attack begins to reel in Carvhana by the five! About a dozen of the nasty Pokémon hurtle through the whirlpool, crashing into each over uncoordinatedly with a few of the weaker ones taking a big hit. As the Twister subsides, your allies join forces in releasing a joint flurry of Razor Leaf and Signal Beam – the manta dealing some decent damage to a few of the dizzy fish and the ninja managing to unfasten one of the Carvahna from Mantine’s underbelly. Whilst taking on a whole school of piranhas was an impressive feat, not one of the dozen had fallen yet, and one of the stragglers still had a firm seize of Ray-Ray’s tail.

Quickly relaying his orders, Karmas watched as Zoran jumped from the kayak onto a branch. Peering over the edge of the boat, the trainer watched as Ray-Ray jumped into the air, and sent several zaps of his Signal Beam into the water. As Ray-Ray dived into a more peaceful part of the water, the Shadow Carvanha let out barks of frustration, a sigh that a couple of them had been hit by the attack. However the were quickly able to catch up with Ray-Ray and give him a couple of nasty Bites. Ray-Ray cried out in pain, Karmas took a look at his pokemon and saw that a couple of Carvanhas had attached themselves to his underside. Seeing the trouble that his comrade was in, Zoran slashed his arms down; sending Razor sharp Leaves at the three water/dark types. They let out cried of pain, but the pokemon still clung onto Ray-Ray. Trying to wriggle his way loose, the Mantine jumped up into the air but failed due to the weight of the fish. Growling in frustration, Ray-Ray shot out a barrage of shining stars which Swiftly made their way to the Carvanha attached to his chest. The attack forced one of the fish off, the Carvanha quickly swimming back to its school. As Ray-Ray dived back into the water, Zoran began to spin his arms around and make a gust of wind. The wind hit the water and a small tornado began to form. Quickly growing into a full blown Twister, the attack began to suck in the Carvanha. About twelve of the fish were sucked in, the ferociousness of the whirlpool causing them to smack into one another. Zoran and Ray-Ray looked at each other, and as the Twister subsided, they let out a barrage of Razor Leaf and Signal Beam. The manta's attack managed to do a decent amount of damage to the fish, while Zoran was successful in knocking a Carvanha off of Ray-Ray.

"Good work guys!" called out Karmas, "Now, Zoran, I want you to use another Twister then follow it up with a Razor Leaf and finish off with a Nature Power. Ray-Ray, I want you to use a Swift on the Carvanha on your stomach, then use Signal Beam on them and finish off with Supersonic!"

Hayward: Tossing aside the dirty dishes of a sizzling stir fry, you begin making space for your next course. Yuri hastily rushes over the tabletop with a clean rag, the counter holding no signs of spicy chillies which would no doubt spoil the next meal. Wavering onto a sweeter dish, you send the stout Makuhita off into the pantry to gather some fruity ingredients. It’s not long before he waddles back in with a hefty Watmel the size of his head. You pat the chubby sumo on the head affectionately, plopping the crop onto a chopping board slicing it clean in half with a large kitchen knife. The two wedges into bowl shapes, you and the fighter taking a spoon to each and hollowing them out to about an inch in thickness. Sumeo particularly enjoys this task , scoffing the delicious filling and spitting any pips into a waste bin. Sumeo grabs two glass jars sporting a Miltank and Combee sticker, respectively. Tossing one your way, you quickly pour the creamy white yoghurt into the pinkish bowl. You top off the white mixture with of oats and raisins, marinating the crunchy desert with some teaspoons of golden honey. With generous room left in the pair of bowls, what’d make a fruit salad sweeter than some tropical berries? You send the zealous Makuhita on another food run, this time for about half-a-dozen different types of fruit. He rushes back in a few minutes later, sporting a large bowl of harvest with a cheeky grin. You measure the ingredients accordingly, fervently picking off any unripe produce leaving a mixture of fruits mottled all sorts of colours. You add the finishing touches with another topping of yoghurt and honey, the finishing touches just short of a Micle Berry or two which was a real shot in the dark. Suddenly! Makuhita bounces in with a spring in his step, something nestled within his blackish paws. He eagerly untangles his mitts to reveal a pea-sized berry with a shiny green sheen. You can only assume the tropical climate is bustling with all sorts of rare delicacies, warily plucking the berry from his chubby paws and grating it onto the fruity medley. Whilst small in quantity, the sprinkles of sweet Micle manage to consume each salad bowl with a syrupy aroma. Clapping your hands to gesture the desert was all set, right on queue a few of the kitchen staff take charge and shuffle the melons onto a rounded plate beneath a cooler, with the third serving next on your agenda.

The name of the game is cuisine. You’ll have three noblemen to prepare for: Kaito, Sensei and Mr.Hwan. Your final meal is for Hwan, the focal goods trader of the village. He prefers International food. Take that however you want to, but the outcome of the food you prepare will have an added effect on the adventure. What you have to do is take me through what ingredients you’re using, and a step by step guide of how you’re preparing the meal. All you have to prepare is a main course. You’ll have an unlimited supply of any and every ingredient and cooking aide you can think of - be creative and imaginative and please use online recipe books if it helps. Once you’ve prepared Hwan’s meal, I’ll update you on how it goes, and then your cooking challenge will be over. You can use your Pokémon to help with tasks too if you want, the other workers will only be observing and won’t be helping.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush into an unorderly huddle, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the xylophonic chimes of its antennae. Sensei nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his plump belly enthusiastically; he looked quite jolly compared to his company.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. With now engaged in everyday conversation, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Master Sensei; a delicious Fruit Salad”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as the wrinkled man spoons a cluster of fruits and granola. His bushy grey brows narrow as he places the spoon beside his dish, chewing the blend of berries with a trivial grin. You notice him quickly scoop up a second bite, this time dipping the spoonful into the creamy veneer. The old man held a satisfied facade, not a look of cringe beneath his mysterious guise.

“A delicious serving, my friend”, the wise elder grins softly, “Perhaps the regal Arcanine should sample the lake outside of its valley”. The proverb manages to highlight his esteem for your efforts as well as a strong sense of optimism, although you can’t help wondering if you strayed too far from the book with a non-traditional take. In any case, you get the firm impression his taste buds have been tantalised as he gradually hollows out each fruit bowl of its sweet filling. That was the least of your worries though, as the adjacent apprentice was beginning to kick up a fuss.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly. The

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s agression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up. Sensei grasps the boy’s threaded sleeve like a vulture to its prey, a feat which more or less overpowered the rogue warrior.

“Please Kaito, be seated”, Sensei mutters softly, softening his grip into more of a supportive gesture.

“I will not eat a meal prepared by someone I don’t trust”, Kaito replies, tugging away from Sensei’s, storming out of the dimly lit bistro.

“Is it that you do not trust the boy, or that you feel threatened by him?” Hwan blurts with Kaito just a foot away from the door, a slight smile on his face as though he had Kaito all worked out. The white clothed labourers seemed taken back by the usually easygoing man’s wise outburst. “You think you’re so tough, when really, you’re just a spoilt brat!” he laughs, a slur in his speech as though he’d had too much wine with his midday meal.

to be continued... please go back and prepare Sensei’s meal

The Reverse World

Pikagod: You complement the two fighters on their efforts, whilst in all honesty you where fighting a struggle that’d be tricky to pull away with. One of the piranha was sinking its teeth into the manta’s tail, causing a great deal of panic for the juvenile Pokémon and slowing his speed. The Carvhana was determined to keep a hold, not about to miss out on its first feast in weeks. And by the looks of the pushy swarms of rowdy fish, this was the smallest of Ray-Ray’s troubles. Zoran is first to spring into action, perched atop a tree like some sort of puppet master as he frantically fans his appendages. A gust picks up on the swampy bed, the murky lakes gyrating into another Twister! Almost all the fish are sucked into its eye, whacked with streams of draconic energy with the weaker of the school taking big hits. The Wicked Pokémon notices a cluster of the savages swimming against the vicious current, coaxing him into another Razor Leaf aimed at the eye of the storm. The thin green blades hit several of the submerged shadow Pokémon, a few of them finally giving up and swimming downstream to lick their wounds. Thinning out the herd leaves you with about six or so hungry Carvhana frenzied by the taste of blood coursing from the Mantine’s tail. He helplessly flails from the water to an uproar of snaps, spitting a flurry of stars to beat off the straggler. The Swift projectiles splash against Carvhana’s dorsal fin who winces in pain. Adding insult to injury, the Ray persists with a high pitched Signal Beam of bug energy, bulleting it between the eyes with just enough force to loosen its jaws. The Carvhana splashes back into the river, swimming downstream with the rest of his weakened siblings. Whilst you’d trimmed down the weaker of the mix, this left one fuming quintet of stronger fish. Two of them dive beneath the water in Ray-Ray’s direction, whilst the other three persistently leap from the water in hopes of fastening onto Zoran’s wooden hide. The manta also submerges, releasing a Supersonic echo causing enough confusion to lead them off his trail for the time being. Meanwhile, Zoran’s nature power transforms into a stinky Mud Bomb which splashes against both the fish whilst in mid-air, lowering their accuracy slightly. Whilst you’d managed to get a hold on the tricky situation, a few movements outside of the confined battle area send your senses on edge. You timorously scope the surroundings, taken back by the ruby eyes of a few Tangrowth in the bushes, a Feraligatr and a few Croconaw slowly pushing near with their trunk-like tails. Whilst none of these new threats had shown any signs of aggression, you’d had one two many encounters with their kind to take them lightly. A clean getaway down stream seemed just as unlikely though given the state of your kayak, what will you do?

Garden of Iris

Mewsic: Caught up with the fact you’ve just about broke into the enchanted bastion, you waver on pushing deeper into the cosy attic with the flowery bait snuggled on the bureau. The tame hedgehog persistently nudges the open hardback with its snout, slight whimpers giving you the impression she could do with a good fairy-tale. Hook line and sinker, you wane toward the oak dresser, noticing a few warm trinkets such as an ink dabbed quill lay softly on a scruffy mound of tanned parchment which gives off a vibe that the cluttered old garret was once quite lively a few centuries ago. Blowing against the brownish book causes a spurt of dust to rush up your sinuses, your eyes watering too. Shaymin sneezes cutely, hopping down onto a plump footrest and curling into a ball. Ditto and Craniados get comfortable too, sat around the chest of drawers on a couple of crammed boxes probably housing some unused furniture. You adjust the flickery oil lamp just inches from the book pressing your finger against the first few pages and skimming through until you found the story you where looking for. An archetypal tale of two siblings stemming all the way from olden Germany, although the specifics where still fuzzy given the age you last heard it. Taking a deep inhale, you mask your usual tone with a contemporary reading voice...

Hansel and Gretle
Once upon a time a brother and sister named Hansel and Gretel lived with their mother and
father at the edge of a huge forest. When our story opens, they are alone in their small cottage,
hard at work at their chores, and very very hungry. Gretel teases Hansel for being a grump, and
promises to tell him a secret if he will cheer up -- there's Moomoo Milk in the cupboard, and their
mother will make them a tasty batch of Poffins when she comes home. Hansel ignores his sister
and guzzles the milk, but Gretel warns him that their mother will be angry if they don't get back
to work. Hansel refuses; he prefers to dance. Gretel thinks that's a wonderful idea, and she
starts dancing too. In the middle of all the fun, Mother comes home in a very bad mood, angry
at them for not having finished their work. She sends the two hungry children out into the forest
to collect wood, with Hansel dropping bread crumbs so they did not get lost...

...You push your fingers towards the page, about to turn only to lose sight through the cute huffing and puffing of the snoozing legendary. Suddenly, its face scrunches up, mumbling to itself as though it was dreaming. You find yourself hipnotised by its charm, until the steely faced expression of concern emanating from Craniados pulls you away from the daze. Your heart begins to race as you wonder what the hell was going on, looking down to your lap you notice the heavy book shimmering a golden yoke. Ditto falls apart like a puddle of water, climbing up your leg and fastening onto your shoulder in panic as an explosion of dazzling flares bursts from the enchanted hardback. Jurasic maintains his courageous guise, barking wildly at the unknown phenomenon. The hedgehog twitches again, causing you to thrust the book out of your possession as it rattles frantically. Your eyes fixate on the open hardback with its pages swirling around like some mystical vortex! Before you can move a muscle the current heaves you in, Craniados failing to resist it too! The last glimpse of the wooden attic fades away, the four of you plummeting through the contents of the storey faster than you can keep up. You stretch out for the small Shaymin, wrapping her up in your clothes and bracing for impact. Your eyes jam shut as the golden wormhole grows ever brighter, falling at the speed of sound before!

“Guten Tag!” an odd voice exclaims. Suddenly you suffer something like a wet mop chafe against your face, slobbering all the way up once or twice which is enough to liven your senses. Your head starts to pound, what just happened? Regaining consciousness you weakly reach your feet, weakly opening your eyes with a somewhat blurred vision. Your comrades where all accounted for, the cocky dinosaur marking his territory on a nearby oak, with the blob and hedgehog still hanging about yourself. However, in the midst of the quant forest aperture, there where two unknown figures. Both quite chubby, the one giving you little space to breath dressed in green lederhosen, while the female of the species sporting a black and white Fräulein. The flowery Pokémon suddenly nuzzles its way out of your jumper, yawning cutely before hopping down to the neatly trimmed pasture of the fairytale woodland. It sniffs about some toadstools with curiosity, shrinking backward as a few Shroomish pop out of the underbrush in curiosity. You switch your attention back to the Long Tongued Pokémon, who’s eyes hadn’t moved from you since you’d gotten up. “Sprechen Sie Englisch!?

Hayward: Tossing aside the dirty dishes of a sizzling stir fry, you begin making space for your next course. Yuri hastily rushes over the tabletop with a clean rag, the counter holding no signs of spicy chillies which would no doubt spoil the next meal. Wavering onto a sweeter dish, you send the stout Makuhita off into the pantry to gather some fruity ingredients. It’s not long before he waddles back in with a hefty Watmel the size of his head. You pat the chubby sumo on the head affectionately, plopping the crop onto a chopping board slicing it clean in half with a large kitchen knife. The two wedges into bowl shapes, you and the fighter taking a spoon to each and hollowing them out to about an inch in thickness. Sumeo particularly enjoys this task , scoffing the delicious filling and spitting any pips into a waste bin. Sumeo grabs two glass jars sporting a Miltank and Combee sticker, respectively. Tossing one your way, you quickly pour the creamy white yoghurt into the pinkish bowl. You top off the white mixture with of oats and raisins, marinating the crunchy desert with some teaspoons of golden honey. With generous room left in the pair of bowls, what’d make a fruit salad sweeter than some tropical berries? You send the zealous Makuhita on another food run, this time for about half-a-dozen different types of fruit. He rushes back in a few minutes later, sporting a large bowl of harvest with a cheeky grin. You measure the ingredients accordingly, fervently picking off any unripe produce leaving a mixture of fruits mottled all sorts of colours. You add the finishing touches with another topping of yoghurt and honey, the finishing touches just short of a Micle Berry or two which was a real shot in the dark. Suddenly! Makuhita bounces in with a spring in his step, something nestled within his blackish paws. He eagerly untangles his mitts to reveal a pea-sized berry with a shiny green sheen. You can only assume the tropical climate is bustling with all sorts of rare delicacies, warily plucking the berry from his chubby paws and grating it onto the fruity medley. Whilst small in quantity, the sprinkles of sweet Micle manage to consume each salad bowl with a syrupy aroma. Clapping your hands to gesture the desert was all set, right on queue a few of the kitchen staff take charge and shuffle the melons onto a rounded plate beneath a cooler, with the third serving next on your agenda.

The name of the game is cuisine. You’ll have three noblemen to prepare for: Kaito, Sensei and Mr.Hwan. Your final meal is for Hwan, the focal goods trader of the village. He prefers International food. Take that however you want to, but the outcome of the food you prepare will have an added effect on the adventure. What you have to do is take me through what ingredients you’re using, and a step by step guide of how you’re preparing the meal. All you have to prepare is a main course. You’ll have an unlimited supply of any and every ingredient and cooking aide you can think of - be creative and imaginative and please use online recipe books if it helps. Once you’ve prepared Hwan’s meal, I’ll update you on how it goes, and then your cooking challenge will be over. You can use your Pokémon to help with tasks too if you want, the other workers will only be observing and won’t be helping.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush into an unorderly huddle, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the xylophonic chimes of its antennae. Sensei nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his plump belly enthusiastically; he looked quite jolly compared to his company.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. With now engaged in everyday conversation, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Master Sensei; a delicious Fruit Salad”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as the wrinkled man spoons a cluster of fruits and granola. His bushy grey brows narrow as he places the spoon beside his dish, chewing the blend of berries with a trivial grin. You notice him quickly scoop up a second bite, this time dipping the spoonful into the creamy veneer. The old man held a satisfied facade, not a look of cringe beneath his mysterious guise.

“A delicious serving, my friend”, the wise elder grins softly, “Perhaps the regal Arcanine should sample the lake outside of its valley”. The proverb manages to highlight his esteem for your efforts as well as a strong sense of optimism, although you can’t help wondering if you strayed too far from the book with a non-traditional take. In any case, you get the firm impression his taste buds have been tantalised as he gradually hollows out each fruit bowl of its sweet filling. That was the least of your worries though, as the adjacent apprentice was beginning to kick up a fuss.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly. The

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s agression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up. Sensei grasps the boy’s threaded sleeve like a vulture to its prey, a feat which more or less overpowered the rogue warrior.

“Please Kaito, be seated”, Sensei mutters softly, softening his grip into more of a supportive gesture.

“I will not eat a meal prepared by someone I don’t trust”, Kaito replies, tugging away from Sensei’s, storming out of the dimly lit bistro.

“Is it that you do not trust the boy, or that you feel threatened by him?” Hwan blurts with Kaito just a foot away from the door, a slight smile on his face as though he had Kaito all worked out. The white clothed labourers seemed taken back by the usually easygoing man’s wise outburst. “You think you’re so tough, when really, you’re just a spoilt brat!” he laughs, a slur in his speech as though he’d had too much wine with his midday meal.

to be continued... please go back and prepare Sensei’s meal

Ben put the finishing touches on his second culinary creation and let out a grateful sigh. Marooned in Lyanazia, he had been appointed the task of assisting Yuri, one of the village girls, with her daily chores to repay the Xiaolin Monastery for its hospitality. He was currently inside the kitchen of the tiny mountain hamlet’s principal eatery, wearing a toque, and preparing the main courses for a trio of hungry aristocrats. The village’s chief chef had recruited him to help with the dinner preparations, and with the sprinkling of the Micle Berries on top of Master Sensei’s Mixed Fruit Salad, he had completed his penultimate meal. While he wasn’t sure he had followed the most Traditional of recipes, he hoped the wizened sage would at least appreciate the dish’s Sweet flavor.

Ben’s heart raced. Two dishes done, one to go, and he had a feeling it would be his biggest challenge yet. Would the village nobility like his cuisine? How would they respond? He wasn’t sure. Even if his dishes hadn’t been exactly what the chef had in mind, he hoped that his creativity and originality would at least impress his patrons. Cooking had never been Ben’s forté. “But when you never have the money to buy any ingredients, how can you ever practice or improve?” the boy thought to himself ruefully. Thankfully though, he did have Suméo’s help. The plump little Makuhita had certainly surprised him, turning out to be a natural in the kitchen. It was almost as if Suméo had some kind of inborn talent or instinct when it came to food. Ben glanced at the chubby yellow-gold sumo wrestler nearby and smiled. Suméo was once again gazing longingly at the seemingly endless barrels of ingredients, shelves of provisions, and containers of food that filled the room. Topknot wiggling excitedly, he hungrily licked his lips.

A small grin spread across Ben’s face and he chuckled to himself as he paused for a moment to consider the sheer irony of their present situation. He and his team had been out of money and out of food more times than he could remember. It seemed like ages since they had had a good healthy meal, and here he was, in a room filled to overflowing with every kind of edible thing imaginable, and again, he wasn’t able to eat it. Maybe someday his ship would come in, but for now, he had a job to do.

Just then, the order for the third nobleman came in. It was for Mr. Hwan and it called for something International. Ben paced around the kitchen as he racked his brain in an effort to come up with a recipe that would delight the jolly man. He crossed to a nearby window and looked out, lost in thought. He tried recalling other eateries he had visited in his many travels. The Seven Stars Restaurant, the Café Cabin, and that little diner in Celadon City - he could never remember it’s name - surely they had served cuisine from around the globe. If only he could remember.

Ben dragged a hand through his short brown hair and thought hard to come up with a suitable meal for Mr. Hwan. He needed something different, something like… Snap! After a moment of further contemplation, he suddenly snapped his fingers, turned away from the window, and proceeded back to his work station, his mind made up. He wasn’t sure if Mr. Hwan would consider what he was planning International, but he suspected the nobleman had never eaten anything like it before.

Glancing around the room, Ben mentally ran through a checklist of the ingredients he would need, first for the crust:

~ In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water.
~ Add the salad oil, the olive oil, the cornmeal and 3 cups of the flour.
~ Beat or process for 10 minutes.
~ Using a dough hook, mix in the rest of the flour.
~ Knead for 10 to 15 minutes.
~ Put the dough onto a countertop and cover it with a very large metal bowl. Allow dough to rise until double in bulk. ~ Punch down and allow to rise again. Punch down again.
~ Oil two large round deep dish pans or cake pans. Divide dough between the pans.
~ Put a little olive oil on your fingers and press/push the dough to the edge, and up the sides of each pan. The dough should be 1/8 inch throughout.
~ Layer the mozzarella cheese all over the bottom of the pies. Next add the tomatoes, basil, oregano and garlic. Add salt to taste.
~ Bake in a pre-heated 475 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden and gooey and the crust is a light golden brown.

Ben knew it was an incredibly popular dish in the States. In fact it was an indulgence few teenagers could resist after athletic competitions, while hanging out with their friends, or when just trying to escape the chill of the Windy City on a snowy, winter night. “Birthed” in the city of Chicago, Mr. Hwan’s meal was known as Deep Dish Pizza and of course, was quite unlike the classic Italian pizza, which had a thin crust and delicate toppings. The idea behind Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza was that the more one loaded onto the pizza crust, the better the pizza would be. With mozzarella cheese on the bottom, the crust and toppings would all bake and ooze together, resulting in a hearty, unforgettable dining experience. True it may not be the most exotic or exciting of dishes, but it was filling and sure to satisfy the heftiest of appetites.

*OoC: Please go easy on me if this recipe isn’t quite International enough. Being a Chicagoan, I just couldn’t resist using my RL hometown’s “trademark recipe.” I did debate over using a few other dishes, such as Jambalaya, Falafel, Kimchee, and Ugali, but in the end, I opted to just stick with something I knew, yet at the same time could probably be considered International by a “Chinese nobleman” living in a secluded mountain settlement.

Au contraire Hayward, it makes perfect sense for an American, or arguably Italian, dish to be considered international in this sitch :L

Hayward: You’d made up two characteristic bowls of chow the likes the mountain settlement would’ve ever seen before, but sure enough there was one last order which didn’t seem a tall one from your point of view. Whilst you’d somewhat strayed from a traditional dish, you’d have the next course in the bag given you’d travelled from corner to corner in the past few years. Sporting a cocky smirk you pick a hometown specialty, your own fine-tuned recipe that’d no doubt be unheard of in the mountain settlement. You share your idea with the chubby chef who wipes off any watermelon sauce around his chops and springs into action. He toddles out of the pantry with several brown sacks mounded almost twice his height, plopping them onto the counter effortlessly as you fill a measuring jug. Yuri smiles nervously as you bump past each other near the hefty pots of mountain water, she was making simple rice dishes which you could only assume where for the rest of the villagers. Sumeo holds out a large basin, coaxing you to fill it with the cool liquid and a good measure of yeast. One by one you add various oils to the jumble, topping it off with a near-sack-full of flour giving it a sticky feel. Right on queue, Sumeo doles out a flurry of Force Palms against the pasty mix, occasionally followed by another churn of flour via your trusty wristwork with a hook-like utensil. You rinse and repeat for about 10 minutes, the foodstuff starting to take form. It was the cheery Makuhita’s turn to knead it out, the type of job his blunt fists where made for as he thumps the hunk of dough against the marble countertop with a sporadic “hya!” That was enough of the martial antics, you re-enter the kitchen sporting various pizza filling whilst the chubby sumo had flattened the pizza base to a sizable inch.

Taking shape of a Chicagoan pizzeria you cover the base with a metal bowl, allowing the yeast to do its magic. Sumeo pipes in delight as he licks the dough off his paws, his chubby cheeks mottled in white flour. Leaving him to punch down the rising base you take little time to whip up the remaining ingredients and apparatus. The dough is hastily split onto two deep-dish pans, pre-drizzled in olive oil, coated in grated mozzarella and topped off with tomatoes and various cloves. You add a pinch of salt into the mix, smiling proudly at the raw dishes with high hopes they’d keep their flavoursome shape when introduced to a new Fahrenheit. You find an old stove, placing the dishes within and adjusting the knob. You had a good hour before all dishes where ready to serve, so it was best to brush up your appearance and clean up any mess made. Makuhita ensures no mozzarella goes wasted, clearing the countertops of any food scraps and storing some leftovers in his rolls of flab. The rest of the workforce each grab a bowl of boiled rice, the head chef gesturing two bowls in your direction, “You look hungry, traveller. I may be short on ideas, but my rice is the best you’ll find this side of the village! It’s the least I can offer you for your hard work!” You weren’t one to turn down a free meal, both you and the wrestler taking the offering with a keen eye on the time. A while passes and the cheesy aroma emanating from the cooker is enough of an indication your Pizza Pies where ready. You shuffle the crispy looking dishes beside the spicy stir fry so it wouldn’t cool down, although you could only assume it wouldn’t be long before the noblemen arrived.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush into an unorderly huddle, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the xylophonic chimes of its antennae. Sensei nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his plump belly enthusiastically; he looked quite jolly compared to his company.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. The jolly fellow is first to reach out for a wine bottle, it was clear as day he wasn’t under a training regime of any sort. With everyone engaged in everyday conversation, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Hwan San; a American Pizza Pie”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as the man grabs a slice, bits of stringy cheese dangling from the greasy wedge. His eyes glaze with animation; you could guess he’d just figured out what kind of dish you’d prepared which said a lot about his cultural knowledge. The tradesman takes a sizable mouthful, slurping up strings of cheese rather messily compared to his associates.

“mmnmnnh..tasty!”, Hwan mutters with his mouth full, “mmmnnhhnnn..” You can’t help feeling that was easier than you’d thought at first. You’d worked up a sweat in the kitchen but it looked as though your efforts had paid off, maybe this was your true calling. Before that thought could even cross your mind you find yourself distracted by the hustle and bustle about to kick off in the ornate diner.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly. The

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s aggression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up. Sensei grasps the boy’s threaded sleeve like a vulture to its prey, a feat which more or less overpowered the rogue warrior.

“Please Kaito, be seated”, Sensei mutters, softening his grip into more of a supportive gesture.

“I will not eat a meal prepared by someone I don’t trust”, Kaito replies, tugging away from Sensei’s, storming out of the dimly lit bistro.

“Is it that you do not trust the boy, or that you feel threatened by him?” Hwan blurts with Kaito just a foot away from the door, a slight smile on his face as though he had Kaito all worked out. The white clothed labourers seemed taken back by the usually easygoing man’s wise outburst. “You think you’re so tough, when really, you’re just a spoilt brat!” he laughs, a slur in his speech as though he’d had too much wine with his midday meal. You could sense the rage coursing through the teen’s body, alas, his face unscrunches. The apprentice looked completely speechless, still, you could barely move a muscle with his mood swings a sure sign for trouble.

“Kaito, Your rudeness dishonours us all. I warn you, do not further shame yourself”, Sensei adds sternly. The boy looks at his shoes like a told off child, silently ambling in your direction,

“Honoured guest, I must beg your forgiveness.” He musters up a bow, winking at his sister before setting off out of the bistro. The tension could be cut with a bread knife, but sure enough a few regular villagers sporting white robes begin to fill the restaurant. The lady perched in the corner begins to strum the instrument as though nothing had happened, her shivery Kriketot snapping back into the rhythm with his soothing chimes. Yuri suddenly rushes through the kitchen and out through the backdoor, Sumeo and yourself wondering in tow. You can barely keep up, reaching the paper doors only to find the Chinese girl perched lowly on a swing set dangling from a hefty sycamore. The vivid sun had waned to the centre of the streaky sky, inches from the eagle’s stony bill. A trip to sensei’s temple would be next up, but was cheering up Yuri more important than a prepped reunion with the yoga chimp?

Au contraire Hayward, it makes perfect sense for an American, or arguably Italian, dish to be considered international in this sitch :L

Hayward: You’d made up two characteristic bowls of chow the likes the mountain settlement would’ve ever seen before, but sure enough there was one last order which didn’t seem a tall one from your point of view. Whilst you’d somewhat strayed from a traditional dish, you’d have the next course in the bag given you’d travelled from corner to corner in the past few years. Sporting a cocky smirk you pick a hometown specialty, your own fine-tuned recipe that’d no doubt be unheard of in the mountain settlement. You share your idea with the chubby chef who wipes off any watermelon sauce around his chops and springs into action. He toddles out of the pantry with several brown sacks mounded almost twice his height, plopping them onto the counter effortlessly as you fill a measuring jug. Yuri smiles nervously as you bump past each other near the hefty pots of mountain water, she was making simple rice dishes which you could only assume where for the rest of the villagers. Sumeo holds out a large basin, coaxing you to fill it with the cool liquid and a good measure of yeast. One by one you add various oils to the jumble, topping it off with a near-sack-full of flour giving it a sticky feel. Right on queue, Sumeo doles out a flurry of Force Palms against the pasty mix, occasionally followed by another churn of flour via your trusty wristwork with a hook-like utensil. You rinse and repeat for about 10 minutes, the foodstuff starting to take form. It was the cheery Makuhita’s turn to knead it out, the type of job his blunt fists where made for as he thumps the hunk of dough against the marble countertop with a sporadic “hya!” That was enough of the martial antics, you re-enter the kitchen sporting various pizza filling whilst the chubby sumo had flattened the pizza base to a sizable inch.

Taking shape of a Chicagoan pizzeria you cover the base with a metal bowl, allowing the yeast to do its magic. Sumeo pipes in delight as he licks the dough off his paws, his chubby cheeks mottled in white flour. Leaving him to punch down the rising base you take little time to whip up the remaining ingredients and apparatus. The dough is hastily split onto two deep-dish pans, pre-drizzled in olive oil, coated in grated mozzarella and topped off with tomatoes and various cloves. You add a pinch of salt into the mix, smiling proudly at the raw dishes with high hopes they’d keep their flavoursome shape when introduced to a new Fahrenheit. You find an old stove, placing the dishes within and adjusting the knob. You had a good hour before all dishes where ready to serve, so it was best to brush up your appearance and clean up any mess made. Makuhita ensures no mozzarella goes wasted, clearing the countertops of any food scraps and storing some leftovers in his rolls of flab. The rest of the workforce each grab a bowl of boiled rice, the head chef gesturing two bowls in your direction, “You look hungry, traveller. I may be short on ideas, but my rice is the best you’ll find this side of the village! It’s the least I can offer you for your hard work!” You weren’t one to turn down a free meal, both you and the wrestler taking the offering with a keen eye on the time. A while passes and the cheesy aroma emanating from the cooker is enough of an indication your Pizza Pies where ready. You shuffle the crispy looking dishes beside the spicy stir fry so it wouldn’t cool down, although you could only assume it wouldn’t be long before the noblemen arrived.

One of the waiters rushes in, yelling something in a foreign tongue causing you to jump out of your skin. The kitchen staff rush into an unorderly huddle, grabbing your three dishes as you can only assume the esteemed guests had arrived. The three dishes are placed neatly on an ornate cart, as two of the waiters proceed to the banquet out of the kitchen and into the eating area. As the doors flap open you realise the diner was much more luxurious than you’d anticipated. The open space had a dark ambiance, a few paper lanterns colouring it a soft scarlet. The mahogany furniture was complemented by a vase holding a single plum blossom on each table. There where plenty of small eating booths on the outskirts of the room, like most Chinese restaurants you may have visited. At the hub of the dining room was long table which stood out as the most esteemed. You suddenly spot three figures walk through the front door. There mere presence coaxes a lady perched in the corner of the room to begin strumming a harmonic string instrument. A Kriketot scuttles by her side, accompanying the Chinese melody with the xylophonic chimes of its antennae. Sensei nods in your direction, even though you where hard to pick out from the crowd of workers. Kaito sticks close to his master, not a strand of his thick black hair out of place as stern as usual. The third figure rests an arm on the back of his bald head and rubs his plump belly enthusiastically; he looked quite jolly compared to his company.

The three take a seat on the largest table, Yuri rushing forward with a jug and offering a choice of beverages. She drops the jug and gives Kaito a brotherly nuggie, causing him to scowl much to Sensei and Hwan’s amusement. The jolly fellow is first to reach out for a wine bottle, it was clear as day he wasn’t under a training regime of any sort. With everyone engaged in everyday conversation, the man in the white bandana strolls forward with the food cart. “... and for you Hwan San; a American Pizza Pie”. The chef smiles courteously, eager to witness their reactions. You were just as keen too, poking your head out of the door as the man grabs a slice, bits of stringy cheese dangling from the greasy wedge. His eyes glaze with animation; you could guess he’d just figured out what kind of dish you’d prepared which said a lot about his cultural knowledge. The tradesman takes a sizable mouthful, slurping up strings of cheese rather messily compared to his associates.

“mmnmnnh..tasty!”, Hwan mutters with his mouth full, “mmmnnhhnnn..” You can’t help feeling that was easier than you’d thought at first. You’d worked up a sweat in the kitchen but it looked as though your efforts had paid off, maybe this was your true calling. Before that thought could even cross your mind you find yourself distracted by the hustle and bustle about to kick off in the ornate diner.

“You see, I cannot take responsibility for this marvellous dish”, the man explains, causing Kaito’s eyes to widen in shock, “It was in fact, the traveller, who made this dish. He’s actually a very good co-“the adolescent drops his chop sticks in disgust, noticing your head poking out of the kitchen door ever so subtly. The

“That... Trespasser... You have him cooking us food, do you!?” Kaito jumps to his feet, causing the chef to cower backward. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. You where just about ready to rush out the back doors if not for your better instinct telling you to stay put. Sensei remained calm and collective, readying himself in case Kaito’s aggression needed to be caged. Hwan on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the whole thing, still chowing down on his dish like a starved dog. Yuri was frozen in shock, taken back by her brother’s ugly side which continued to crop up. Sensei grasps the boy’s threaded sleeve like a vulture to its prey, a feat which more or less overpowered the rogue warrior.

“Please Kaito, be seated”, Sensei mutters, softening his grip into more of a supportive gesture.

“I will not eat a meal prepared by someone I don’t trust”, Kaito replies, tugging away from Sensei’s, storming out of the dimly lit bistro.

“Is it that you do not trust the boy, or that you feel threatened by him?” Hwan blurts with Kaito just a foot away from the door, a slight smile on his face as though he had Kaito all worked out. The white clothed labourers seemed taken back by the usually easygoing man’s wise outburst. “You think you’re so tough, when really, you’re just a spoilt brat!” he laughs, a slur in his speech as though he’d had too much wine with his midday meal. You could sense the rage coursing through the teen’s body, alas, his face unscrunches. The apprentice looked completely speechless, still, you could barely move a muscle with his mood swings a sure sign for trouble.

“Kaito, Your rudeness dishonours us all. I warn you, do not further shame yourself”, Sensei adds sternly. The boy looks at his shoes like a told off child, silently ambling in your direction,

“Honoured guest, I must beg your forgiveness.” He musters up a bow, winking at his sister before setting off out of the bistro. The tension could be cut with a bread knife, but sure enough a few regular villagers sporting white robes begin to fill the restaurant. The lady perched in the corner begins to strum the instrument as though nothing had happened, her shivery Kriketot snapping back into the rhythm with his soothing chimes. Yuri suddenly rushes through the kitchen and out through the backdoor, Sumeo and yourself wondering in tow. You can barely keep up, reaching the paper doors only to find the Chinese girl perched lowly on a swing set dangling from a hefty sycamore. The vivid sun had waned to the centre of the streaky sky, inches from the eagle’s stony bill. A trip to sensei’s temple would be next up, but was cheering up Yuri more important than a prepped reunion with the yoga chimp?

As always Emp, thanks for another great, speedy update. I hope my reply does it justice!

In a single moment your whole life can turn around. “Hey, Yuri!” Ben hollered, chasing the village girl through the restaurant’s backdoor. She was headed in the direction of a stately sycamore tree not too far away. At his side, the Makuhita Sumeo, struggled desperately to keep the pace, but his short, stubby legs would only turn over so quickly.

"Why won’t the boy slow down?" the chubby, yellow-gold sumo wrestler wondered. “Doesn’t he know I helped out enough in the kitchen already?” A light bulb suddenly went on Sumeo’s head; thinking about the kitchen had just reminded him of the food scraps he had pinched from the pantry while cleaning. His mind was made up. This was as far as he was going. He had already done more than his fair share in the kitchen. The boy could handle this one on his own.

Red-faced and wheezing like a popped balloon, Sumeo collapsed in a heap on the ground. He pulled out his secret stash of leftovers and immediately began devouring them. Seeing his portly partner’s gluttonous antics, Ben smacked his forehead in frustration and reached into his bag for a Steel Ball. “If you eat it all now, you won’t have any for later,” he remarked wryly as he tapped the trigger switch, returning the Guts Pokemon.

Sumeo dealt with, Ben trotted over to where Yuri was sitting by herself on a swing dangling from one of the tree’s many branches. “Hey, Yuri,” he began, “Why’d you leave so…” but suddenly he stopped. It seemed to him that maybe the girl had been crying. Unsure what to say to console her, Ben stood there for a minute staring straight into the ground. He looked up and to the left slightly - the sun was nearing the Eagle’s beak - then back down again. He shifting one of his running shoes absentmindedly. He had never been good in these kinds of situations.

Ben stood with his eyes closed for what seemed like an eternity. At that moment it felt like the whole world had caved in, but he couldn’t explain why. All he knew was that he had been in this tiny mountain village for less than a day, known this girl for less time than that, and he simply couldn’t stand to see her so downhearted, especially knowing that it was all his fault.

When Ben finally looked up, he spoke quietly. “Look. I’m really sorry about what happened today. You and your brother are both upset because of me. If I hadn’t gotten lost here…” There was a long pause. A dozen clauses that could have finished that incomplete sentence flashed through his mind, but he wasn’t sure what Yuri’s reaction would be, so he simply said, “Thanks for sticking up for me earlier.” There was another long pause. Ben felt like he had nothing left. “Master Sensei told me I was to meet him when the sun met the Eagle. He thinks Medeo should be fully recovered and I can leave then. I just wanted to let you know that I had a lot of fun helping you finish your chores today.”

As he turned towards the Monastery, Ben’s grey-green eyes swept the mountainous countryside one more time. At this hour of day, the view was simply breathtaking, and he regretted that things hadn’t worked out better. He would have loved to have explored the area with Yuri. “Your home is beautiful, Yuri,” he said. “Thank you for showing it to me.” He paused, then added, “I just wish I knew what to say to make you feel better… I just wish there was some way I could make it up to you.”

Pikagod: You complement the two fighters on their efforts, whilst in all honesty you where fighting a struggle that’d be tricky to pull away with. One of the piranha was sinking its teeth into the manta’s tail, causing a great deal of panic for the juvenile Pokémon and slowing his speed. The Carvhana was determined to keep a hold, not about to miss out on its first feast in weeks. And by the looks of the pushy swarms of rowdy fish, this was the smallest of Ray-Ray’s troubles. Zoran is first to spring into action, perched atop a tree like some sort of puppet master as he frantically fans his appendages. A gust picks up on the swampy bed, the murky lakes gyrating into another Twister! Almost all the fish are sucked into its eye, whacked with streams of draconic energy with the weaker of the school taking big hits. The Wicked Pokémon notices a cluster of the savages swimming against the vicious current, coaxing him into another Razor Leaf aimed at the eye of the storm. The thin green blades hit several of the submerged shadow Pokémon, a few of them finally giving up and swimming downstream to lick their wounds. Thinning out the herd leaves you with about six or so hungry Carvhana frenzied by the taste of blood coursing from the Mantine’s tail. He helplessly flails from the water to an uproar of snaps, spitting a flurry of stars to beat off the straggler. The Swift projectiles splash against Carvhana’s dorsal fin who winces in pain. Adding insult to injury, the Ray persists with a high pitched Signal Beam of bug energy, bulleting it between the eyes with just enough force to loosen its jaws. The Carvhana splashes back into the river, swimming downstream with the rest of his weakened siblings. Whilst you’d trimmed down the weaker of the mix, this left one fuming quintet of stronger fish. Two of them dive beneath the water in Ray-Ray’s direction, whilst the other three persistently leap from the water in hopes of fastening onto Zoran’s wooden hide. The manta also submerges, releasing a Supersonic echo causing enough confusion to lead them off his trail for the time being. Meanwhile, Zoran’s nature power transforms into a stinky Mud Bomb which splashes against both the fish whilst in mid-air, lowering their accuracy slightly. Whilst you’d managed to get a hold on the tricky situation, a few movements outside of the confined battle area send your senses on edge. You timorously scope the surroundings, taken back by the ruby eyes of a few Tangrowth in the bushes, a Feraligatr and a few Croconaw slowly pushing near with their trunk-like tails. Whilst none of these new threats had shown any signs of aggression, you’d had one two many encounters with their kind to take them lightly. A clean getaway down stream seemed just as unlikely though given the state of your kayak, what will you do?

Karmas looked at the scene in front of him with hidden despair. A Carvanha was currently sinking its teeth into Ray-Ray's tail, which caused a lot of pain for the Mantine and had slowed him down considerably. The fish wasn't prepared to let go of its possible meal ticket, and by looking at the school of fish it was merely the smallest of Ray-Ray's increasingly bad problems. Zoran springs into action before Ray-Ray, frantically fanning his leafy hands. A breeze starts to pick up before the swamp once again forms a Twister. The attack sucked in the majority of the fish, whacking the Carvanha with draconic energy. Looking into the twister, Zoran spied several of the shadow pokemon fighting their way against the water's current, so he released another Razor Leaf. The razor sharp leaves hit a couple of Carvanha, several of them giving up the fighting and swimming down stream. Despite this bit of good luck, Karmas saw that were still around six Carvanha left, now in a frenzy thanks to the blood coming out of Ray-Ray's tail. Speaking of the Mantine, he was flailing his way out of the water, spitting a Swift at the Carvanha attached to his tail. Despite wincing in pain, the fish still didn't want to come off. Continuing to attack, Ray-Ray fired a Signal Beam hitting Carvanha right in between its eyes. The attack was enough to make Carvanha let go and swim its way to the other Carvanha that had lost interest beforehand. Now with five of the pokemon left, Karmas suddenly realised that they were the strongest of the bunch. He watched in horror as two Carvanha dived in Ray-Ray's direction while the other three jumped up at Zoran. Intent on getting a little revenge, Ray-Ray also dove under water firing off a Supersonic. The attack confused the water/dark types long enough to put them off Ray-Ray's trail, much to the Mantine's delight. Meanwhile Zoran's Nature Power transformed into a Mud Bomb, hitting the Carvanha in the air and making it harder for them to see. While it seemed to Karmas that his pokemon had the situation under hand, some movement caught his attention. Looking around, the trainer was alarmed to see several Tangrowths in the bushes, and a Feraligatr and a couple of Croconaw coming closer. While they didn't seem to be a threat at the moment, Karmas wasn't willing to take any risks. The thought of a clean get away down the stream occurred to Karmas but given the shape the kayak was in, it didn't seem like it was going to happen anytime soon. Not having much time to think, Karmas hovered his hand over Banane's ball, getting ready to release the Tropius if he needed to. But first he had to give some orders to his fighting pokemon. "Okay Zoran, I want you to hit the suckers with a Mega Drain then follow it up with a Razor Leaf and finish it up with a Leaf Storm. Ray-Ray hit them with an Aerial Ace the use Signal Beam and finish up with a Hydro Pump!"